A better Assembly for a better Court

The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) is the ICC’s management oversight and legislative body. It is composed of all states parties to the Rome Statute.

As the ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties provides the ICC with management oversight and strategic direction, elects officials, decides the budget, considers matters of non-cooperation, and can amend the Rome Statute and other rules. 

The success of the ICC depends on the good functioning and decisions of the ASP. Civil society plays a vital role in urging the Assembly, and its individual member states, to uphold its responsibility to make international justice effective. Throughout the year and at its annual session, we urge the Assembly to improve its working methods, transparency, and state support for justice and the ICC.

Civil society also campaigns to avoid political interference with the strict judicial or prosecutorial independence of the ICC, constantly reminding the Assembly of its proper role in the Rome Statute system.  

state support

Asembly of States Parties 2022

The 21st session of the ASP will take place from 5 - 10 December 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands. 

All you need to know

Assembly of States Parties 2021

The twentieth session of the ASP took place from 6 - 10 December 2020 in The Hague, Netherlands. 

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

Annual ASP session 

The ASP meets once a year in full plenary session to adopt the Court's budget for the next year and decide on many other important topics, such as cooperation and complementarity.

The Coalition coordinates the participation of global civil society at the Assembly annual session, usually taking place at the end of year. NGOs use the opportunity to interact with government and other delegates to advocate for a fair, effective and independent ICC. Pressing issues are addressed through advocacy documents, letters, meetings, press briefings, and other events.

Read more on the Annual Assembly. 
Read more on civil society and the Rome Statute system

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How the ASP works

The ASP makes a number of important decisions that are central to the Court's work. It decides on the Court's budget and measures to enhance cooperation and the universality of the Rome Statute. It also decides on amendments to the Rome Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. Another crucial function of the ASP is to elect the Court's judges and prosecutor.

 

More on the ASP 

Elections
The Assembly also elects the representatives on various subsidiary committees, such as the Committee on Budget and Finance (CBF) and the Advisory Committee on the Nominations of Judge (ACN). Independent bodies like the CBF and ACN make recommendations to help inform the ASP decision-making process.

Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties
The ASP has a Bureau, consisting of a president, two vice presidents, and 18 members elected by the assembly for a three-year term. The Bureau assists the assembly in the discharge of its mandate and meets regularly throughout the year in New York and The Hague. The Bureau has two working groups: the New York Working Group (NYWG) and the Hague Working Group (HWG).  

Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties
The ASP has a permanent secretariat to assist the Assembly, the Bureau, and other subsidiary committees in carrying out their work. The ASP Secretariat is located in The Hague.

Working Groups.
Consultations between states and Court officials take place through working groups, which cover various topics essential to the work and governance of the ICC. The topics are divided between the Working Group on Amendments (WGA), the New York Working Group of the Bureau (NYWG), and The Hague Working Group of the Bureau (HWG). Civil society may participate in the meetings of these working groups.

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Previous ASP sessions

Assembly of States Parties 19
The eighteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) took place from 14-16 December 2020 in The Hague, with a first resumption from 17-23 December and a second resumption on 8 February in New York.
19th ASP

Assembly of States Parties 18
The eighteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) took place from 2- 6 December 2019 in The Hague.
18TH ASP 

Assembly of States Parties 17
The seventeenth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) took place from 5 - 12 December 2018 in The Hague, The Netherlands. 17th asp

Assembly of States Parties 16
The sixteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) took place from 4 - 12 December 2017 in New York. 
16th asp

Assembly of States Parties 15
The fifteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) took place from16 - 24 November 2016 in The Hague, The Netherlands. 15th asp

Visit our old website archive for information on ASP 1 to 14. 

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