Switzerland signed the Rome Statute on 18 July 1998 and ratified on 12 October 2001, becoming the 43rd State Party.
Mobilizing Legislators as Champions for
Human Rights, Democracy, and a Sustainable World
Mobilizing Legislators as Champions for
Human Rights, Democracy, and a Sustainable World
PGA organized two critical side events on 8 December, which provided concrete reflections on serious issues faced by the Rome Statute system. Both events gathered high-level participation from the ICC and States representatives, as well as other civil society organizations.
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.
Parliamentarians around the world celebrate the acceptance by the Czech Republic of both Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute of the ICC and the Swiss Federal Assembly unanimous approval of the ratification of the Kampala Amendments
In light of the deeply disturbing, prevailing climate of impunity for sexual and gender based crimes in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), PGA’s Swiss National Group, chaired by Ms Yvonne Gilli, MP, and in cooperation with
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.
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.
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.
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.
