The Need For Universality Of The Rome Statute Of The International Criminal Court

The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court, ICC, was established to bring an end to international crimes like genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression.

And the Rome Statute has the potential to very effectively reduce the spate of international crime in the world.

But at the moment, only a number of states have acceded to it or ratified it. This has reduced its jurisdiction or the amount of cases it can try.

We can get a world where international crime becomes effectively reduced. But for that to happen we need to transform this limited jurisdiction into a universal jurisdiction.

The ICC should be able to try cases of international crime regardless of territory or nationality.

What You Can Do To Promote Universality Of The Rome Statute

If your country has not ratified/acceded to the Rome Statute, you can help. How?You can share this message to create more awareness of the need for universality of the statute.

Check if your country is a State Party to the Rome Statute here.

And if your country has, you can also share it to build support for universality of the Rome Statute that may gain traction or gain international attention.

At the end of the day, we are all also, members of the same global village. Perhaps, your involvement can be the spark needed to bring meaningful change in the steps to a better and more just world.

There is also the responsibility of the ICC to Always do its best to avoid politicization. This will increase confidence in the Rome Statute and attract more supporters.

There is the responsibility of States to give maximum unqualified support to the ICC to enable it achieve a more just world. This support includes financial support needed to carry out effective investigations. Stakeholders should also consider establishing an endowment fund for the ICC. This fund must be shielded from the influence of special interests and must also have effective oversight to promote maximal accountability.

The Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation is a member of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court.