March 05-08, 2012 | National Congress, Brasilia

A joint ICC-PGA delegation consisting of ICC Judge Silvia Steiner, Dip. Felipe Michelini (Uruguay, Convenor of the PGA International Law and Human Rights Program), Dr. David Donat-Cattin (PGA Director of the ILHR programme) and Ms. Deborah Ruiz Verduzco (PGA Senior Program Officer) travelled to Brasilia on 5-9 March 2012 in an effort to advance the process of adoption of the legislation incorporating the Rome Statute in domestic legislation.

With the support of Dep. Rosinha (PT), the delegation held consultations with party leaders at the National Assembly and representatives of the Governments, including the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs and the National Secretariat for Human Rights, to promote the adoption of the implementing bill which has been under discussion in Parliament since 2008 as well as to discuss recent developments in the international criminal justice system that are relevant to Brazil.

The delegation was received by the Vice-President of the Republic, H.E. Prof. Michel Temer and the Minister for Human Rights, Ms. Maria do Rosário Nunes, MP. The delegation was also received by Dep. Marco Maia, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and had also a bilateral dialogue with Sen. Paulo Paim (PT-RS), President of the Senate Human Rights and Participative Legislation Commission, who addressed the Plenary of the Senate to call for the prompt adoption of the ICC Bill in both Chambers of Parliament. H.E. Ministro Cezar Peluso, President of the Supreme Court of Justice, also received Judge Silvia Steiner.

The main outcome of this technical assistance and advocacy mission has been the commitment of political parties to adopt as soon as possible the ICC draft legislation in the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary, along with an amendment that the Presidency of the Republic agreed to table to ensure consistency between the limited scope of national military jurisdiction and national jurisdiction of domestic civilian Courts. After the meeting with the delegation, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Hon. Mr. Marco Maia, MP, decided to mark the ICC Bill as “priority”. The bill should be discussed and eventually adopted promptly.

This visit served also the purpose of promoting the discussion regarding the ratification by Brazil of the amendments adopted at the Kampala Review Conference (2010) particularly regarding the crime of aggression and war crimes.