To mark the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) this 17 July 2023, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) is hosting the exhibition "Common bonds: From the Rome Conference to today" at the Atrium Den Haag in The Hague's City Hall, from 11 - 31 July 2023. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Opening event
The exhibition officially opened at a high-level event on 12 July, with opening remarks from five speakers.
The Mayor of the city of The Hague, H.E. Jan van Zanen, gave a warm welcome, saying: "In drawing up the Rome Statute the world community sent a momentous signal: That it is serious about ending impunity for the perpetrators of large-scale atrocities. The city of The Hague is proud of the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based here."
H.E. Henk Cor van der Kwast, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the OPCW and the ICC, stated: "The Rome Statute serves as the basis for the prosecution of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. The ICC is the court that upholds the Rome Statute. 25 years after the Rome Statute, we can say that the ICC played an important role in fighting impunity and promoting accountability."
He continued: "The work of the ICC needs our constant support. The Netherlands strives to play a key role in this: as the host state, by promoting more states to ratify the Rome Statute, by international support and by contributing to the voluntary funds. Being the host country comes with big responsibilities and The Netherlands is honored to host this institution that stands for peace and justice."
H.E. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the Assembly of States Parties, remarked: "Twenty-five years after the creation or the Court, our turbulent world needs more justice than ever. It is the time to demonstrate that the bonds that united us in 1998 continue to hold us together twenty five years down the road."
H.E. Judge Piotr Hofmański, President of the International Criminal Court, said in his remarks: "This event is unique in its approach. Tonight's exhibition seeks to tell stories that cannot be told by numbers or by data. Instead, these stories will be told through the medium of art and will, hopefully, leave us with a fresh perspective of the Court's work and renewed commitment to its mandate."
Mr. Kevin Kelly, Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, stated: "Twenty-five years ago, the Rome Statute established the Trust Fund for Victims as one of the pillars of reparative justice together with the ICC. On the occasion of this important milestone, we strongly call on all States Parties to support the Trust Fund for Victims in our efforts to realise victims' rights to reparation."
A number of ASP-hosted events to mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute will be taking place throughout the year. These include two commemoration events, one at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 17 July and another on 12 and 13 October in Rome. Events will culminate in the annual meeting of the Assembly of States Parties in December, this year to be held in New York from 4 to 14 December.
Photographs of the opening event
The Mayor of the city of The Hague, H.E. Jan van Zanen
H.E. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the Assembly of States Parties
H.E. Judge Piotr Hofmański, President of the International Criminal Court
Mr. Kevin Kelly, Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims
About the exhibition
Through its work addressing some of the world's worst crimes, the ICC hears thousands of stories from conflict survivors from across the globe. This exhibition offers a glimpse into some of those stories.
Despite coming from 17 situations across four continents where the ICC has launched investigations, the stories have many common threads: they are personal experiences of unimaginable violence, harm and loss. But they are also stories of love, friendship, family, home, connection, community and hope. As one man told us: "One must learn to survive."
The States Parties to the Rome Statute created the Court: "Conscious that all peoples are united by common bonds, their cultures pieced together in a shared heritage, and concerned that this delicate mosaic may be shattered at any time".
With these opening words from the Rome Statute's Preamble, the ICC was created. With these same words, 25 years later, the ASP presents this "Common bonds" exhibition to you.
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This exhibition is hosted by the Assembly of States Parties and was produced by the International Criminal Court. The ICC collaborated with the Trust Fund for Victims to capture and share the photographs from the Democratic Republic of the Congo about ICC reparations and other Trust Fund for Victims programmes.
The ICC is grateful for the generous support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Municipality of The Hague, and the European Union in producing this exhibition.
The photos and accompanying captions are for the purpose of the exhibition only. They do not represent, and are without prejudice to, the legal findings in specific cases and situations before the Court.
Visitors should be aware that the exhibition contains some strong content that may be unsettling, particularly to children. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Adopted on 17 July 1998, the Rome Statute is the founding treaty of the ICC, supported by 123 countries. The International Criminal Court is the first permanent international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.
