Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) organized, with the support of the National Assembly of Togo and the commitment of an active PGA member, Hon. Jean-Joël Kissi, MP and Chairman of the External Relations and Cooperation Committee, the 2nd meeting of the Working Group on Fighting against Impunity in Francophone African Countries.

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 (ICC) has been facing from some governments on the continent. The meeting was attended by legislators from Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Senegal and Togo, and also benefitted from the expertise of Mr. Amady Bâ, Head of the International Cooperation at the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC.

In the opening remarks, Hon. Jean-Joël Kissi, MP (Togo), Dr. David Donat Cattin, Secretary General of PGA, H.E. Amb. Nicolas Martinez Berlanga, Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Togo, and Col. Damehane Yark, Minister of Security and Civil Protection of Togo, addressed the participants with a strong message of continued dedication to the Rule of Law and accountability for authors or international crimes.

The discussions provided for enriching exchanges as regards promoting the universality of the Rome Statute and protecting the integrity of the ICC and the importance of full and effective cooperation of States not only with the ICC but also between themselves. The meeting offered a platform to discuss in length arguments rebutting the misconceptions about the ICC. This led to the participants debating and considering strategies to reinforce the support of the Court by African countries.

The Togolese MPs from the majority united their voices with the opposition members in expressing their support for justice and their commitment to strengthening judiciaries capacities. They acknowledged that the ratification of the Rome Statute would be conducive to achieve this objective and on many occasions condemned the recent announcements of withdrawals from the Rome Statute made by Burundi, South Africa, the Gambia and Namibia.

Statement by Hon. Jean-Joël Kissi, Member of the National Assembly of Togo, Chairman of the External Relations and Cooperation Committee, Member of PGA:

It is our responsibility to ensure that our people will be protected by justice and the rule of law. We need to utilize our prerogatives as Parliamentarians and representatives of the people to call on our Government to take every action available to further extend the legal safeguards protecting the human rights of the Togolese people. I am convinced that the ratification of the Rome Statute is an important and necessary step in this direction. Hon. Jean-Joël Kissi

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Plan of Action of Lomé 2016 where the parliamentarians present denounced the withdrawals from the Rome Statute and pledged their commitment to the ICC. Those from countries that have not done so yet called on their respective governments to ratify the Rome Statute, to advance legislative reforms for the effective and full implementation of the Rome Statute as well as to support the ratification and implementation of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute. All participants agreed to reconvene to discuss a regional strategy, including on 9-10 December 2016 in Dakar, Senegal, for the 9th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians on the International Criminal Court and the Rule of Law (CAP-ICC)

On the second day, a delegation of legislators from Francophone African countries met with H.E. Amb. Nicolas Martinez Berlanga, Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Togo, to present the Action Plan and the results of the meeting. The Delegation discussed the ways forward for the EU to bolster its efforts in the fight against impunity in Francophone African countries. The Ambassador pledged his support to any initiative to this end.