On 12 and 13 October 2023, the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ("the Assembly") commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in Siracusa, Italy with a symposium entitled Strategic Vision for the Next Decade: How to Ensure Consistent and Sustainable Support for the International Criminal Court". The symposium, part of the commemoration process of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute launched by the Assembly in The Hague on 12 July and continued in New York on 17 July 2023, was organized by the Siracusa Institute for criminal justice and human rights with the support of the Assembly, and was attended by States Parties, Observer States, the Court, international and regional organizations as well as non-governmental organizations.
On the first day of the symposium, opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Jean-François Thony, President of the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights; Her Excellency Ms. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the Assembly; His Excellency Judge Piotr Hofmański, President of the Court; and Mr. Pasquale Velotti, Deputy Head of the Service for Legal Affairs, Diplomatic Disputes and International Agreement of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. An overview of the Symposium was also delivered by the General Rapporteur for the event, Mr. William Schabas.
During the two-day event, attendees participated in four panel discussions during which they reflected on opportunities for reinforcing the Rome Statute's substantive criminal scope through the inclusion of new crimes; discussed the lessons learned from 25 years of operationalising the principle of complementarity in practice and jurisprudence; considered future prospects for ensuring victims' rights to truth, justice and reparation and a victim-centred approach; and reflected on the future prospects and challenges for the Court's governance and functioning. Participants also received a presentation on the Ethica Principles for International Criminal Judges during the symposium.
A Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the symposium reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the Court, encouraged States Parties to cooperate with it, recalled the principle of complementarity and called for the effective implementation of the Rome Statute, the strengthening of the institutional framework of the Court and the Rome Statute system. The Declaration also condemned acts of intimidation and attacks against the Court and reiterated support for the Court as an independent, impartial court of law, standing firmly by its elected officials, personnel and all those cooperating with it.
Further information about the commemoration can be found at the website of the Assembly.
For additional information please contact Ms. Lismercy Novas Alba, via email addressed to [email protected].
Related materials:
More Just World campaign webpage
ICC online exhibition "Common bonds": English; French; Spanish; Dutch
