ICC Hague & the rest of the world.

international | crime and justice | other press Monday June 06, 2005 21:07 by €/$ - "compare & contrast Africa of the Poor and the Americas of the Poor"

The International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, was established by European nations of the €U under the Rome Statute as the last court of international crime.

It is the only international court which is permenant and ratified and stablished to promote the rule of law and ensure that the gravest international crimes do not go unpunished.

It is not completely recognised by the USA which resents its "inteference".

It has opened investigations into Darfur-
“The investigation will require sustained cooperation from national and international authorities. It will form part of a collective effort, complementing African Union and other initiatives to end the violence in Darfur and to promote justice. Traditional African mechanisms can be an important tool to complement these efforts and achieve local reconciliation.”

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was established on 17 July 1998, when 120 States participating in the "United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court" adopted the Statute. The Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002. Anyone who commits any of the crimes under the Statute after this date will be liable for prosecution by the Court.

The U$A is opposed to this, and argues that its citizens and more specifically its military ought be exempted and favours the trial of international crime at one off tribunals appointed by the UN for that purpose "at worst" or a short case in US federal or overseas jurisidiction followed by some hey throwing (away) "at best".

Notwithstanding more and more states have ratified the ICC, the last to do so being the Dominican Republic in the Carribean 18th of May 2005 and Kenya in Africa 16th March 2005.

And in response to the idea of "immunity and exception" many states (now numbering 62) are party to an agreement on the Privileges and immunities of the ICC (APIC).

The DARFUR investigation follows the release of a list of 51 names of suspects in april.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/101.html

The press release from the Prosecution office today:-
http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/107.html