Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute elects a new President and six judges

The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ("the Assembly") opened its sixteenth session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, which will last from 4 to 14 December 2017.

In his opening remarks, the President of the Assembly, H. E. Mr. Sidiki Kaba (Senegal), called on all States to work towards the universal ratification of the Rome Statute and the integration of its norms into national legal systems. He underscored the link between State cooperation and the Court's effectiveness, credibility and independence. President Kaba concluded by saying that if a recession of mass crimes results in progressive inactivity at the Court, "We would then have announced the dawn of a new hope for humanity."

The United Nations Secretary-General, H. E. Mr. António Guterres, delivered a keynote speech in which he observed that "the adoption of the Rome Statute was a hopeful, historic moment near the end of a century marked by atrocities and unspeakable inhumanity. Yet serious violations of international law continue, and vast accountability gaps persist. Our abiding challenge is to realize the full potential of the International Criminal Court to end impunity and build a just and more peaceful world."

The Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, Mr. Motoo Noguchi, noted the significance of the first reparations to victims ordered by the Court and implemented by the Trust Fund for Victims.

The President and the Prosecutor of the Court also delivered statements. Further information is available in the press release of the Court that can be found at its website.

The Assembly elected Judge O-Gon Kwon (Republic of Korea) as President for a three year mandate that starts on 15 December 2017. The Assembly elected further, for the same period, the following other members of the Bureau: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Gambia, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the State of Palestine, and Uganda. The Assembly deferred the election of the two Vice-Presidents.

The Assembly elected further six judges for a term of nine years:

• AITALA, Rosario Salvatore
  Group of Western European and Other States (Italy), list A, male

• AKANE, Tomoko
  Group of Asia-Pacific States (Japan), list A, female

• ALAPINI-GANSOU, Reine Adelaide Sophie
  Group of African States (Benin), list B, female

• BOSSA, Solomy Balungi
  Group of African States (Uganda), list A, female

• IBÁÑEZ CARRANZA, Luz del Carmen
  Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (Peru), list A, female

• PROST, Kimberly
  Group of Western European and Other States (Canada), list A, female

List A judges have established competence in criminal law, while List B judges have competence in relevant areas of international law, such as international humanitarian law as well as human rights law.

The Assembly also elected six members of the Committee on Budget and Finance for a three-year mandate.

The Assembly will also, inter alia, consider proposals to amend the Rome Statute, discuss the activation of the Court's jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, as well as consider the 2018 budget of the Court.

Further information about the elections and the session can be found at the website of the Assembly.

For additional information please contact Ms. Léa Siffert at +31 6 5088 5836 or via email at [email protected].