This year's annual meeting of states parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) comes just a few months after two important anniversaries: ten years since the adoption of the ICC statute and five years since the start of the court's operations. This memorandum identifies a series of challenges the court now faces as it carries out its mandate to bring justice for the world's worst crimes. Challenges identified include those imposed externally, such as attempted political interference with the court's work, and those which relate to increasing the effectiveness of the court's operations, such as the need to ensure adequate resources. The memorandum makes recommendations throughout to ICC states parties to address these challenges.