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PGA’s vision is to contribute to the creation of a Rules-Based International Order for a more equitable, safe, sustainable and democratic world.

Suriname and the Rome Statute

Since March 2004, PGA Member Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch has led the work on the Campaign for the Rome Statute of the ICC within the National Assembly of Suriname. The efforts culminated in Suriname’s accession to the Rome Statute in 2008. Since then, PGA has facilitated technical assistance to the government of Suriname in preparing a comprehensive draft bill to implement the Statute.

On 7 and 8 November 2007, the visit of a delegation of legislators from Suriname to the ICC and other institutions in The Hague paved the way for the ratification of the Rome Statute. The visit aimed to provide the right opportunity to discuss the current challenges of the ICC and demonstrate the support of officials of the Court and the Dutch authorities towards Suriname joining the ICC system. The meetings in The Hague also allowed participants to devise a strategy to continue working with their government to ensure that Suriname not only accedes to the Rome Statute but also promotes the ICC system, especially in the Caribbean region.

In addition to this visit, on 6 and 7 June 2008, the National Assembly and PGA held the Paramaribo Regional Seminar on International Justice and Security and the Role of the ICC to formalize the long accession process and enhance the role of Parliamentarians in the whole region. The President of Suriname, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice participated in the Seminar. As a result of the event, 44 members of parliament from 17 countries adopted the Paramaribo Plan of Action.

On 1 December 2014, in a meeting held with former ICC President San Hyun Song and other representatives of the Court, a bi-partisan Surinamese parliamentary delegation of PGA members led by Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch, Vice-President of the National Assembly and PGA Board Member (2014), exchanged information about the complementarity of the ICC with national jurisdictions. During the discussions, ICC officials emphasized that the domestic implementation of the Rome Statute's legal principles protects the primacy of national jurisdiction and strengthens the national criminal justice system. MP Hugo Jabini, President of the National Assembly’s Committee on the revision of the Criminal Code in Suriname and PGA Board Member (2015), requested more information from the ICC to facilitate the implementation of the Rome Statute crimes and general principles in the new Criminal Code which was thereupon adopted on 5 March 2015 including some Rome Statute provisions.

The involvement of PGA members remains active in continuing to promote the implementation of the Rome Statute at the national level. PGA is organizing a Surinamese parliamentarians' visit to the International Criminal Court in May 2024.

Signature, Ratification of/Accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC
Accession Date: 15 July 2008
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

Suriname lacks full implementation of the principles and core crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

In the amended version of 2015, some references to the Rome Statute were included in the Criminal Code. Article 5.1 specifies that the Code applies to Surinam nationals and aliens in case they are committing crimes against the administration of justice of the ICC as meant in Art. 70.1 of the Rome Statute. Furthermore, Art. 96 specifies that the crimes as defined in the Rome Statute shall not be subject to any statute of limitations.

Lastly, the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the revised Criminal Code included part of the Preamble of the Rome Statute, “recalling that it is the duty of every State to exercise its jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes.”
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: No.
Key Documents

Status of the Rome Statute System as of February 2024:

 
States that have ratified the Rome Statute [124]
 
States that have signed the Rome Statute but have not ratified it yet [30]
 
States that have withdrawn from the Rome Statute [2]
 
States that have neither signed nor ratified the Rome Statute
 

124 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Of these, 33 are African States, 19 are Asia-Pacific States, 19 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:

l-r: Hon. Patrick Kensenhuis, Member of the Human Rights Committee and Chair of the PGA National Group in Suriname; Ms. Frederika Schweighoferova, PGA's Director, International Law & Human Rights Program; Mr. Daniel Garzón López, PGA's Senior Program Officer, International Law & Human Rights Program; and Hon. Dewanchandrebhose Sharman, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Human Rights Committee.

Parliamentarians from Suriname Strengthen ties with International Organizations to Champion International Cooperation

From 15 to 17 May 2024, a delegation of Members of Parliament from Suriname participated in a high-level visit to The Hague, The Netherlands, organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA).

PGA Promotes the Universality of the Rome Statute at the Special Session of the OAS on the ICC

PGA Promotes the Universality of the Rome Statute at the Special Session of the OAS on the ICC

On 15 March 2018, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), participated in the 10th Special Session of the Organization of American States (OAS) on the International Criminal Court (ICC), organized by the OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs.

An event was convened at the United Nations Headquarters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

10th Anniversary Celebrations of the Adoption of the Rome Statute of the ICC Assembly of States Parties

On 17 July 2008, H. E. Amb. Christian Wenaweser, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Liechtenstein, and President-elect of the ASP, organised an event at the United Nations Headquarters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome

Ruth Wijdenbosch said that her Suriname’s accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC was an extra guarantee against the possibility of some future governments or individual violating human rights and then escaping justice.

Intervention of PGA Board Member Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch MP (Suriname) in the 10th Anniversary Celebrations of the Adoption of the Rome Statute of the ICC Assembly of States Parties

On 17 July 2008, H. E. Amb. Christian Wenaweser, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Liechtenstein, and President-elect of the ASP, organised an event at the United Nations Headquarters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome

Members of Parliaments and Congresses from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Paramaribo on 6 and 7 June, 2008.

Paramaribo Parliamentary Seminar on International Justice and Security

Since March 2004, PGA Board Member Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch, MP has been leading the work within the National Assembly of Suriname to make possible the accession of Suriname to the Rome Statute. In July 2007, she formed a multi-party working group on the ICC

The Mission of Surinamese MPs to The Hague was supported by the Parliament of Suriname, the European Commission and the Governments of The Netherlands and Switzerland.

Mission of Surinamese Parliamentarians to the ICC and connected institutions

Since 2004, PGA Board Member Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch, MP (Suriname) has been leading the work within Parliament to make possible the accession of Suriname to the Rome Statute. In July 2007, she formed a Multi-Party Working Group on the ICC to re-activate the

Hon. Sen. Raynell Andreychuk (Canada)

2007 Working Session on the ICC convened by the Permanent Council of the OAS

On February 2007, Senator Raynell Andreychuck and Dr. David Donat Cattin, Director of the International Law and Human Rights Program of PGA, intervened at the ICC session held at the OAS

The Fourth session of The Consultative Assembly brought together 165 MPs from all continents.

Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the ICC and the Rule of Law - 4th Session

and 28th Annual Parliamentary Forum. Tokyo, Japan, December 4-5, 2006.

Publication

Parliamentary Kit on the International Criminal Court
Parliamentary Kit on the International Criminal Court

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

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

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)