Kyiv, New York, The Hague | February 20, 2017
Hon. Hryhoriy Nemyria, MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations and Chair of the PGA Ukraine National Group stressed the urgent need for Ukraine to ratify the Rome Statute and join the International Criminal Court. He represented the PGA Ukraine National Group at the Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians on the ICC in Dakar from December 9-10, 2016.
“Ratification of the Rome Statute and joining the International Criminal Court is a strong argument in our struggle against Russia’s aggression, which the Ukrainian government doesn’t use. The ratification has been postponed for three years. Who will gain from it and why?” - he said during the meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Coordination Board on Monday.
Hon. Nemyria also reminded members that the ratification of the Rome Statute is a commitment Ukraine made under the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome on 17 July 1998 and it entered into force on 1 July 2002. Under the Rome Statute, the ICC can investigate and prosecute the four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. After Ukraine ratifies the Rome Statute the ICC will have jurisdiction over the above mentioned crimes committed on its territory or against its citizens.