The twenty-third session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) opened today at the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague, The Netherlands. The session is scheduled from 2 to 7 December 2024.
At this session, States Parties to the Rome Statute, observer States, invited States, international and regional organizations and representatives from civil society will discuss key challenges facing the Statute. States Parties will also adopt resolutions on important issues pertaining to the functioning of the Court and the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV), including on their respective budgets and on cooperation. The Assembly will also elect five members of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, five members of the Committee on Budget and Finance and nine members of the Advisory Committee on nominations of judges.
H.E. Päivi Kaukoranta, President of the Assembly of States Parties, stated: "It is essential that we continue to work together with an unwavering commitment to the ideals of justice, accountability, and human dignity. Let us remain steadfast in our collective responsibility to support the Court and ensure its resilience and success as a cornerstone of global peace and security."
The President of the Court, Judge Tomoko Akane, outlined the current challenges the Court faces, emphasising that: "We need the support of civil society representatives from all regions of the world. We need a robust Assembly of States Parties committed to defending the independence of the Court and the primacy of international law and of fundamental rights. The Court's future is now entirely in your hands. If you commit, individually and collectively, to keep the pledge you have made in Rome, the Court can continue to provide what for humanity is the most essential sentiment: hope."
ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC said: "If we can work together, this could be a moment of true hope and renewal for international criminal justice. But to achieve this, we must be united on one simple, central truth: No individual is less deserving than another of the protections of the Rome Statute."
The Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, Minou Tavárez Mirabal, stated : "Through its engagement with tens of thousands of victims affected by crimes prosecuted under the Rome Statute, the ICC is fulfilling the unique and essential reparative mandate conferred upon it by States Parties. Judicial proceedings, together with reparations, support individual well-being, promote societal reconstruction, and strengthen the rule of law. The Board of Directors is deeply concerned about the immediate and long term impact that potential sanctions against the ICC may have on thousands of victims around the world."
The ICC, governed by the Rome Statute, is the world's first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and the crime of aggression. In accordance with article 112 of the Rome Statute, the Assembly is the management oversight and legislative body of the ICC. It is composed of representatives of the States that have ratified and acceded to the Rome Statute.
