Gambia and the Rome Statute

PGA has been mobilizing members of the Gambian National Assembly since 2018 and has provided technical assistance to the office of the Attorney General regarding the drafting of a legislation implementing the Rome Statute.

Signature, Ratification of/Accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC
Signature Date:	17 July 1998
Ratification Date:	22 September 2004

Amendments to the Rome Statute
Ratification of the Kampala Amendment to Article 8 of the Rome Statute on war crimes [poison and expanding bullets in NIAC] (2010):	No
Ratification of the Kampala Amendment to the Rome Statute on the crime of aggression reflected in Article 8 bis (2010):	No
Ratification of the Amendment to Article 124 of the Rome Statute (2015):	No
Ratification of the Amendment to Article 8 of the Rome Statute on war crimes [biological weapons] (2017):	No
Ratification of the Amendment to Article 8 of the Rome Statute on war crimes [blinding laser weapons] (2017):	No
Ratification of the Amendment to Article 8 of the Rome Statute on war crimes [non-detectable fragments] (2017):	No
Ratification of the Amendments to Article 8 of the Rome Statute on war crimes [starvation as a war crime in NIAC] (2019):	No

Adoption of implementation legislation of the Rome Statute of the ICC
The Gambia currently does not have an implementing legislation. The Attorney General prepared and introduced an International Crimes Bill, which PGA provided input to, as well as a Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Bill. Both were adopted in first and second readings in 2020 and are moving forward in the legislative process.

Cooperation Agreements
Ratification of Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Court (APIC):	No.
Signature of Agreement of Enforcement Sentences with the ICC:	No.
Signature of Agreement of Interim and Final Release with the ICC:	No.
Signature of Bilateral Immunity Agreement with the USA:	Yes, signed at Washington on 8 October 2003 and entered into force on 3 November 2003.

Key Documents

Banjul Plan of Action Toward an End to Impunity in Africa (2019): English | Français

Status of the Rome Statute System as of October 2024:

States that have ratified the Rome Statute [125]	States that have signed the Rome Statute but have not ratified it yet [29]
States that have withdrawn from the Rome Statute [2]	States that have neither signed nor ratified the Rome Statute

Choose or Search for a Country...

125 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Of these, 33 are African States, 19 are Asia-Pacific States, 20 are from Eastern Europe, 28 are from Latin American and Caribbean States, and 25 are from Western European and other States.

Work of PGA in this Country:

June 2021 PGA Rome Statute Campaign Update

30 June, 2021

This update focuses on obstacles PGA overcame and its successes during the first half of 2021 amid the limitations caused by the global pandemic, which compelled the Secretariat and Members to Adapt and Innovate more than ever.

Workshop on the Fight Against Impunity for Mass Atrocities under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and promotion of the Rule of Law

West African MPs Renew Their Commitment to the Fight Against Impunity

14 April, 2021

PGA co-organised with its National Group in Nigeria, a Workshop on the Fight Against Impunity for Mass Atrocities under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and promotion of the Rule of Law

Africa Working Group

01 February, 2021

PGA members across the African continent constitute the largest segment of the PGA global membership and played a fundamental role in the national decision-making processes that led most of their countries to join the Rome Statute system.

The Kutupalong Refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The camp is currently the world’s largest refugee settlement and hosts around 600,000 refugees. UN Photo/Caroline Gluck

PGA applauds the opening of an ICC investigation into atrocities committed against Rohingya population in Bangladesh/ Myanmar

15 November, 2019

PGA welcomes the decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh/Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

Parliamentarians and experts met in Banjul to explore mechanisms designed to provide accountability for serious human rights violations and international crimes.

African Parliamentarians gather in Banjul to discuss accountability mechanisms for serious human rights violations and international crimes

12 July, 2019

On 3 and 4 July 2019, the National Assembly of the Gambia hosted over 40 participants, representing more than 15 African States, to participate in the Working Group on the Fight against Impunity in Africa.

17 July, Day of International Justice and 20th of the Rome Statute.

20th Anniversary of the Rome Statute: the need for universality and activation of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over the crime of aggression

18 July, 2018

PGA co-sponsored a high-level ministerial event at the UN to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute, International Justice Day, and the entry into force of the Court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.

PGA’s Secretary-General Dr. David Donat Cattin with the Justice Minister and Attorney-General of The Gambia, Mr. Abubacarr M Tambedou

PGA Secretary-General meets with the new Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of The Gambia

05 July, 2017

On July 5 PGA’s Secretary-General Dr. David Donat Cattin met with the new Justice Minister and Attorney-General of The Gambia, Mr. Abubacarr M Tambedou, at the Gambian Permanent Mission to the UN.

H.E. Mr. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of the Gambia.

The Gambia set to retract its withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, says new President

08 February, 2017

PGA warmly congratulates Mr. Adama Barrow, the newly elected President of the Gambia, on his statement that his administration was working on rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Commonwealth.

Whether Mr. Yahya Jammeh stays in Equatorial Guinea, finds refuge elsewhere or eventually comes back to the Gambia, competent Courts shall investigate any serious human rights violation that may have characterized his decades-long administration.

PGA Members Welcome the Peaceful Transition in the Gambia and Call on their Colleagues to Now Take Action for Human Rights

24 January, 2017

Members of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) welcome the successful efforts deployed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its Member States, which resulted in a peaceful transfer of power in the Gambia last week.

Parliamentarians from Francophone African Countries have sent a strong message confirming their commitment to the Rule of Law and Justice by adopting the Action Plan Lomé 2016

PGA holds the 2nd Meeting of the Working Group on the Fight against Impunity in Francophone African Countries in Lomé, Togo

14 November, 2016

The meeting aimed at promoting the universality and full implementation of the Rome Statute and the fight against impunity in Francophone African countries, especially against the backdrop of criticism the International Criminal Court has been facing...

Mr. Michiel Servaes, MP (The Netherlands) in a Member of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA)

Questions asked by Servaes (PvdA) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the withdrawal of African countries from the International Criminal Court

28 October, 2016

Parliamentary questions about the withdrawal of African countries from the International Criminal Court

February 9, 2011 | Joint Legislative Chamber, Monrovia, Liberia

Regional Roundtable Discussion on Implementation of the Rome Statute of the ICC

09 February, 2011

Hosted by the Legislature of Liberia, under the leadership of Senator Franklin Siakor in collaboration with PGA, parliamentarians from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Ireland gathered at this regional PGA Roundtable to di

Publication

Parliamentary Kit on the International Criminal Court

It is imperative that the Rome Statute be ratified universally for the successful functioning of the Court. Parliamentarians should ensure that the ICC is truly universal.

Description

Created by the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent and independent international court capable of investigating and bringing to justice individuals who commit the most serious violations of international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and human rights.

The Rome Statute defines the crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction and provides the general principles and procedures for the operation of the Court. It also outlines the cooperation obligations of its State Parties. It is imperative that the Rome Statute be ratified universally for the successful functioning of the Court. Parliamentarians should ensure that the ICC is truly universal.

PDF(s)

Additional Details

Publication Type: Toolkit
Author(s): Parliamentarians for Global Action

Publication

Handbook for Parliamentarians: National Nomination of Judicial Candidates for the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Description

The ICC is the first and only permanent independent court with the mandate to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for committing international crimes, namely genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Its 18 judges from around the world, elected for a nine-year term, play a key role in ensuring this expectation is lived up to through their primary mandate to render authoritative and high-quality jurisprudence and guarantee fair trials.

Therefore, the quality of the judges has fundamental importance to the performance, efficiency, and effectiveness of the ICC, which is at the heart of the long-term success of the ICC and the Rome Statute system as a whole. In this handbook, PGA sets forth specific criteria and recommendations for Parliamentarians to encourage their governments to improve national nomination procedures for ICC judicial candidates and adopt good practices and requirements to ensure these processes are fair, transparent, and merit-based. The goal of robust nomination procedures is to ensure that only candidate judges or jurists of the highest caliber make it on the ballot.

PDF(s)

Additional Details

Publication Type: Handbook
Author(s): Parliamentarians for Global Action

Publication

Handbook: Ratification and Implementation of the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

Description

It is our honor and privilege to present to you the Third Edition of the Handbook on the Ratification and Implementation of the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

It is the product of our collaborative effort aimed at assisting States in ratifying the amendments adopted by consensus in Kampala and helping criminalize the most serious forms of the illegal use of force.

PDF(s)

Additional Details

Publication Type: Handbook
Author(s): Permanent Mission of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations; Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression; Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University (LISD); (Drafting Assistance by PGA)

Loading...

Gambia and the Rome Statute

Key Documents

Status of the Rome Statute System as of October 2024:

Work of PGA in this Country:

Publication

Parliamentary Kit on the International Criminal Court

Description

PDF(s)

Additional Details

Publication

Handbook for Parliamentarians: National Nomination of Judicial Candidates for the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Description

PDF(s)

Additional Details

Publication

Handbook: Ratification and Implementation of the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

Description

PDF(s)

Additional Details