Historic Benchmark of 100 Countries Party to the ICC Treaty Reached Today

Monday, 31 October 2005, 10:03 am
Press Release: Coalition for the International Criminal Court

Mexico’s Treaty Deposit at the UN Reveals a Momentum that will not be Reversed

(New York) – In a ceremony held today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Mexico deposited its instrument of ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the 100th State Party to the ICC.

Mexico overcame a series of considerable political and constitutional hurdles to reach this day. The treaty deposit – which began with Mexico’s signature of the Rome Statute on 7 September 2000 – represents more than five years of concentrated work. Commenting on this momentous achievement and on what the future holds for Mexico, Maria Sirvent, Coordinator of the Mexican Coalition for the International Criminal Court, representing over sixty Mexican non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that support the ICC, said, “Mexico's ratification of the Rome Statute represents an important advance in the fight against impunity. We have prevailed in a long and difficult struggle to get to where we are today and we want to congratulate all the government authorities who were involved in this process. We now urge the Mexican Senate to begin drafting comprehensive domestic legislation to ensure that the ICC will be effective complement to our national courts.”

Today’s landmark 100th ratification is seen by NGOs around the world as a testament to the remarkable strides made by the ICC and its supporters in its short history to date. William Pace, Convenor of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) – a network of more than 2,000 civil society organizations that support a fair, effective and independent ICC – said, “Today’s ratification represents another remarkable advance in the globalization of international justice. One hundred nations today are building a bridge to a more peaceful 21st century.” <snip>

Many of the countries who have become party to the ICC, including Mexico, have faced enormous pressure from the United States which continues to oppose the Court. In addition to pushing countries to not ratify the ICC treaty, the US has threatened countries with the loss of US aid in order to secure bilateral ICC immunity agreements. These agreements exempt US nationals and US personnel (including contractors) from ICC prosecution for crimes committed. To date, the US has cut millions of dollars of much-needed aid to more than twenty countries that support the ICC including South Africa, Peru, Croatia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Kenya. <+ footnotes>

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0510/S00439.htm

The U.S. will be a member of the ICC too.

to happen anytime in the near term. Its not just Bush that opposes the ratification -- but a lot of Senators don't like subjecting US Citizens to foriegn jurisdictions while they are on US soil.

.. to be subject to any jurisdiction other than that of the US government, no matter where they are ...

it's also that some Americans should never be subject to U.S. jurisdiction, no matter where they are -- so long as they are up high enough in a hierarchy.

"Many of the countries who have become party to the ICC, including Mexico, have faced enormous pressure from the United States which continues to oppose the Court. In addition to pushing countries to not ratify the ICC treaty, the US has threatened countries with the loss of US aid in order to secure bilateral ICC immunity agreements. These agreements exempt US nationals and US personnel (including contractors) from ICC prosecution for crimes committed. To date, the US has cut millions of dollars of much-needed aid to more than twenty countries that support the ICC including South Africa, Peru, Croatia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Kenya."

:(

Oh, yes: there's this rogue country called the USA. Yeah, that's the one.

how is this really any different, we are a rogue, faux, superpower, with enough weapons to sterilize the surface of the planet 6 times over, and yet we STILL increase military spending year after year.

If I were Bush or Cheney, I wouldn't go vacationing in any of these countries after getting out of office. Might get picked up on a warrant.

Remember when ** started babbling about the ICC in the middle of the 2nd debate last year? It wasn't even remotely on-topic, and it wasn't clear
what set him off on it.

Bushler must have nightmares about the ICC:


and the attached prison (no pardons there, ever):