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Mobilizing Legislators as Champions for
Human Rights, Democracy, and a Sustainable World

Italy and Sweden Ratify the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute of the ICC on the Crime of Aggression and War Crimes


The International Community must renew and increase its efforts in the prevention of atrocity crimes, starting with aggressive wars: This is the meaning of the Italian and Swedish ratification of the Kampala Amendments. The Rome Statute system can serve as powerful deterrent against irresponsible leaders who may believe that they may be unaccountable or above the law. War crimes and the crime of aggression shall have no place in the relations among law-abiding States.

The Italian Parliament took action since 2014 on the basis of the European Parliament’s resolution on the crime of aggression adopted on 17 July 2014 – International Justice Day – with a quasi-unanimous vote that received determined impulse from the PGA Group in the European Parliament. The Chair of the PGA EP Group, Mr. Fabio Massimo Castaldo MEP, underscored that



    • All the political party families that were present in the European Parliament in 2014 united their voice in support of the fight against impunity for the crime of aggression and other international crimes falling under the ICC jurisdiction. Today more than ever, the EU shall continue to be a leader in the fight against impunity for the most serious violations of International Law known to humankind. After today’s ratification by Italy and Sweden, all the EU Member States that have not yet done so should follow the path of joining the amendments to the Rome Statute.

    The PGA Sweden National Group Members concurred with the unanimous decision of the Swedish Parliament to adopt the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute on 3 November 2021. The newly elected Board Member of PGA Ms. Ann-Sofie Alm, MP, stated:



    • Sweden’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals is characterized by our firm stand in support of democracy, human rights and the Rule of Law, which will never be achieved if justice for victims of the most serious international crimes will not be available. Therefore, we firmly support the ICC in The Hague as the centerpiece of the new system of international justice that can support a reinforced role of States in combating impunity through their participation in the Rome Statute and its Amendments.

    The Chair of the PGA Sweden National Group, Mr. Anders Österberg, MP welcomed today’s development at the UN:



    • Parliamentarians have an important role to play in global affairs. First and foremost, as Legislators we can authorize our Government to enter into legally binding regimes that are strengthening – not weakening – our capacity as sovereign States to have an impact and bring about change in the lives of the peoples of the world. This is what Sweden has been doing when it joined today the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute, as well as when Sweden renewed its financial contributions to the Trust Fund for Victims of the ICC, to which we are the largest donor.

    We firmly stand with the victims of the gravest crimes of international concern, and we shall ensure that there is an independent and impartial Court in The Hague that can serve as model and stimulus for the democratic Governments of the world.

    The PGA Campaign for the Universality and Effectiveness of the System of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court has so far contributed to the national decision-processes of 78 States that ratified the Statute and will continue to increase its efforts for new States to join the Amended Rome Statute, as well as for States Parties to ratify all the amendments on the crime of aggression and war crimes.