New York/ The Hague, 20 February 2018

Dip. Clemente Barrios, in his capacity as a member of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), met today with the Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Eladio Loizaga, to present the latest developments concerning the adoption on 16 August 2017 of Law 5877/17 that implements in the domestic legal order the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This meeting is the follow-up to those that took place on 6 July 2016 and 13 October 2016, on the ratification of the Kampala Amendments and the negotiation of cooperation agreements with the ICC.

On 13 October 2016, Dip. Barrios and Dip. Juan Félix Bogado had met with Minister Ever Martínez, Minister of Justice of Paraguay to discuss cooperation agreements. On this occasion, Minister Martínez informed the congressional representatives about the establishment of a Working Group composed of members of the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs to work on the elaboration of agreements with the ICC.  In March, Minister Loizaga and Dip. Barrios agreed to expand the membership of the working group to include the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.  Thus, PGA member-parliamentarians and their advisors are integral to discussions of national priorities in matters of cooperation with ICC.

The negotiation and signature of cooperation agreements with the ICC would be a concrete demonstration of Paraguay’s commitment to international justice, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The Rome Statute Implementing Legislation includes a chapter on cooperation with the ICC, compliant with Part IX of the Rome Statute.

The Rome Statute needs its Member States to ensure its efficiency. In the current context of atrocity crimes being committed in many parts of the world, it is an appropriate time to commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by fostering the engagement of all national institutions to ensure that the principle of 'never again' becomes a reality in Latin America and the world.