The Assembly of States Parties is the management oversight and legislative body of the International Criminal Court.
It is composed of representatives of the States that have ratified and acceded to the Rome Statute. Each State Party is represented by a representative who is proposed to the Credential Committee by the Head Of State of government or the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chapter IV of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of States Parties).
The Assembly of States Parties has a Bureau, consisting of a President, two Vice Presidents and 18 members elected by the Assembly for a three-year term, taking into consideration principles of equitable geographic distribution and adequate representation of the principal legal systems of the world.
On its second session in September 2003 the Assembly of States Parties decided to establish the Permanent Secretariat (ICC-ASP/2/L.5).
The Assembly of States Parties decides on various items, such as the adoption of normative texts and of the budget, the election of the judges and of the Prosecutor and the Deputy Prosecutor(s).
According to article 112 (7), each State Party has one vote and every effort has to be made to reach decisions by consensus both in the Assembly and the Bureau. If consensus cannot be reached, decisions are taken by vote.