On 6 July 2026, the International Criminal Court (ICC) hosted a roundtable on State cooperation on release and interim release at the Court's headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. The roundtable brought together representatives of States, ICC officials, international organisations, bar associations and legal practitioners to discuss best practices on issues central to the Court's functioning, particularly in relation to interim and final release and cooperation frameworks.
The event opened with welcoming remarks by ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane, ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler and Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to the Kingdom of the Netherlands H.E. Ramatoulaye Ba Faye. Participants included representatives of the ICC Registry, the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence, the ICC Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Parliamentarians for Global Action, the ICC Host State, and high level representatives of States Parties from different regions, including the States who signed voluntary agreements with the Court.
The discussions focused on the legal basis for interim and final release at the ICC, lessons learned and challenges from previous cases, as well as Defence and human rights perspectives. Participants also exchanged on the respective roles and responsibilities of the Court, host State and receiving States, and reflected on the experiences of other international tribunals. The roundtable further explored ways in which States can assist the Court through conclusion of voluntary cooperation agreements and the adoption of implementing legislation.
The Court is grateful to the European Union for its generous financial support of this roundtable.
