When hope and history rhyme

The Coalition advocates for universal ratification of the Rome Statute of the ICC as it is a cornerstone objective to making the membership in the ICC truly global and universal. The Coalition believes that in order for the Court to succeed, an increasing majority of the world’s nations must support the Court.

In particular, the Coalition has a Universal Ratification Campaign (URC) which focuses on one country each month, rotating to a different region each time. As part of this major campaign, members in every region are encouraged to redouble efforts in order to ensure universal acceptance of the ICC. Local actions are needed to promote awareness of the International Criminal Court, increase media coverage, urge governments to ratify the Rome Statute, adopt effective implementing legislation, and ratify the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities.

The Coalition also campaigns for implementation of all of the crimes under the Rome Statute into domestic legislation. As the court initiates new investigations, the existence of solid cooperation and implementing legislation has taken on further urgency.

In addition, the Coalition urges States to ratify and implement the Agreement on Privileges and Immunity of the ICC (APIC), designed to provide officials and staff of the ICC with certain privileges and immunities necessary for them to perform their duties in an independent and unconditional manner, and to guarantee that their officials are aware of the actual scope and realities of these privileges and immunities and how to apply them in concrete situations.

2000
Despite expert predictions that it would take decades to realize 60 ratifications, the success of the Coalition’s global ratification campaign indicates that it could be achieved by 2002. The Coalition begins research on “lessons learned” from the ICTY and ICTR.

On 31 December, NGO members in the United States conduct an extensive campaign for President Clinton’s signature of the ICC treaty. On its final day for signature, the United States – along with Iran and Israel – signs the Rome Statute, bringing the total number to 139 signatories (surpassing the CICC campaign goal of 120 signatures, to match the votes in favor of the Rome Statute).

2001
After Andorra's ratification of the ICC treaty marked the halfway point to the 60 ratifications needed for the Rome Statute's entry into force, the Coalition calls for the government of the Netherlands and the Preparatory Commission to dramatically step up efforts to prepare for the ICC, including the establishment of an Advance Team.

Stocktaking
The Review Conference included a stocktaking exercise to consider the holistic success and impact of the Rome Statute to date. Debates focused on the impact of the Rome Statute on victims and affected communities, complementarity, cooperation, and peace and justice, issues truly central to the system's fair, effective, and independent functioning. 

Pledges and Kampala Declaration 
During the Review Conference, 112 pledges with the purpose of strengthening the Rome Statute system were made by 37 states parties, as well as the United States and the European Union. In addition, the Conference adopted the Kampala Declaration, reaffirming states’ commitment to the Rome Statute and its full implementation, as well as its universality and integrity. The Review Conference further adopted a resolution on strengthening the enforcement of sentences. In parallel, the ICC signed three agreements, with Belgium, Denmark, and Finland, on the enforcement of sentences. The Coalition and its global membership are committed to work to maintain the momentum with States, the UN, other regional bodies and the Court to ensure commitments made in Kampala result in concrete actions.

Amendments: Crime of Aggression 
Following long negotiations, States Parties adopted provisions governing the terms of the Court's ability to investigate and prosecute individuals for the crime of aggression. ICC States Parties agreed upon a jurisdictional regime for the crime of aggression, which provides separate procedures depending on whether the situation was referred by the UN Security Council, or whether it came before the Court through a State referral or upon the ICC Prosecutor's initiative. The Review Conference determined that the activation of jurisdiction is still subject to a positive decision by the ASP which cannot be taken before 1 January 2017 and one year after the ratification or acceptance of the amendments by 30 states parties, whichever is later.

Other Amendments 
States Parties also agreed not to delete Article 124 - an optional protocol which allows States not to subject their nationals to the Court's prosecutions or investigations over war crimes for a seven year period - but to review it in five years. Second, States accepted to extend the use of certain weapons as war crimes in non-international conflicts.

Pictured here are Coalition Staff meeting with former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during the Review Conference in Kampala.

Since 2003, the Coalition has promoted informed, merit-based decision-making by governments by ensuring that the qualifications and expertise of candidates for ICC/ASP elections are as transparent as possible. The Coalition does not endorse or oppose individual candidates, but advocates for the integrity of the nomination and election procedures. The Coalition also scrutinizes how states parties nominate a candidate for election, and strongly opposes reciprocal political agreements. The Campaign on ICC/ASP Elections helps to raise awareness and publicize elections and nominated candidates by:

• Requesting all candidates to complete questionnaires that provide additional information about their qualifications;
• Holding interviews with candidates;
• Organizing public seminars with available candidates and experts;
• and Hosting public debates between the candidates.

Andre Kito, Executive President of the Fondation Congolaise pour la Promotion des Droits humains et la Paix and president of the DRC national coalition for the ICC address communities in the Ituri region on the significance of the decision.

The Coalition and its members hold a press conference to capture this Court milestone, and commemorate the global and regional advocacy that took place that enabled Mr. Lubanga’s arrest and trial

This broader focus includes issues such as complementarity and cooperation, ensuring that states are encouraged not only to join the ICC, but also to become fully functioning members of the Rome Statute System by incorporating the Statute into domestic legislation. The expansion allows for a greater variety of context-specific advocacy and actions at the local, national, and regional levels.

As part of the Coalition’s proactive media outreach, in April 2015, the Coalition’s Africa Regional Office in Cotonou, Benin launched its official talk show, À bâtons rompus. À bâtons rompus is a monthly talk show that discusses ICC issues in the African context, and dispels misinformation about the Court. The show targets African civil society, media, and government officials, and is paving the way for positive dialogue on international justice issues on the continent.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—have the power to veto any resolution that comes before the Council. Yet all too often, politics trumps attempts to bring impartial justice mechanisms, such as the ICC, into the equation.