Platform for technical assistance

The Bureau of the Assembly consists of a President, two Vice-Presidents and 18 members elected by the Assembly for three-year terms. The current Bureau assumed its functions at the close of the twenty-second session of the Assembly, on 14 December 2023, and is composed as follows:

Mandate

At the 2010 Review Conference, the Assembly of States Parties, through resolution RC/Res.1, recognised the importance of States assisting one another in strengthening domestic capacities to investigate and prosecute serious international crimes. Pursuant to paragraph 9 of that resolution, the Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties facilitates, within existing resources, the exchange of information between the Court, States Parties and other stakeholders, including international organisations and civil society, with the aim of strengthening domestic jurisdictions.

The Secretariat encourages States to communicate their capacity-building needs and assists in identifying actors able to provide support. This complementarity mandate has been reaffirmed annually by the Assembly, reflecting the principle that the International Criminal Court operates as a court of last resort.

Objective

Launched by the Secretariat in 2011, the Complementarity Platform provides a structured mechanism for States Parties to seek assistance in strengthening their ability to investigate and prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. The Platform facilitates connections between requesting States and technical assistance providers, including States, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and specialised bodies. Areas of expertise include implementing legislation, judicial infrastructure and court management, judicial cooperation, witness and victims’ protection, and gender-based crimes, among others. Acting as a liaison between States Parties, Court organs and capacity-building actors, the Secretariat facilitates contacts but does not itself provide technical assistance, which is delivered directly between the requesting State and the relevant technical assistance provider.

 How does it work?

On an annual basis, the Secretariat circulates a note verbale inviting States Parties to submit requests for technical assistance through the Complementarity Platform. Following receipt of a request, and with the authorisation of the requesting State, the Secretariat shares it with relevant Court organs, which assess whether they are able to provide support within their respective mandates and available expertise. In accordance with coordination arrangements established with Court organs, requests that cannot be fully addressed are referred, through the Secretariat, to external technical assistance providers drawn from the Platform’s network of actors. This approach promotes timely and coherent support, avoids duplication of efforts and maximises the expertise available across the Court and its wider network of partners.