The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists condemn the imposition of sanctions by the United States against International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and those cooperating with it, including the ICC Prosecutor, two Deputy Prosecutors, and eight judges, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and three Palestinian human rights NGOs.
The legal obligation for States Parties to the Rome Statute to cooperate with the ICC is essential to ensuring accountability for some of the most serious crimes under international law. Effective cooperation — including executing arrest warrants, supporting investigations, and protecting witnesses — enables the Court to carry out its mandate credibly and independently.
The obligation to cooperate is critical to realising victims’ rights to effective remedy and reparation, and reinforces the mandate of this Council to promote accountability, address violations, and prevent recurrence. Where serious human rights violations amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, effective cooperation with the ICC is an integral part of States’ human rights obligations. Conversely, insufficient cooperation weakens accountability efforts and erodes confidence in multilateral institutions.
Chair, distinguished delegates,
Efforts to undermine international accountability mechanisms, including attacks against the ICC and UN Special Procedures, are unacceptable and must stop. We urge this Council to ensure full support to international justice institutions and resist any attempts to obstruct accountability.
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This statement was delivered by:
Francesca Restifo, Senior Human Rights Lawyer and UN Representative
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
