The opening of the eleventh session of the Assembly of States Parties was preceded by an event commemorating the Tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute, which took place in the Knight’s Hall with the presence of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Remarks were made by H.E. Frans Timmermans, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, H.E. Tiina Intelmann, President of the Assembly, H.E. Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the International Criminal Court and Mr. Kon Kelei, former child soldier.
At the Assembly session, which started on 14 November, remarks were delivered by the President of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall, the first State that had ratified the Rome Statute, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Ms. Patricia O’Brien, and senior Court officials.
President Intelmann expressed her gratitude to the organizers and supporters of the commemorative events and recalled both the achievements and the challenges that the Court encountered in the last year. The President further noted that there must always be a common understanding that the States Parties stand by their commitment to invest in the fight against impunity, both politically and financially, with accountability as the long-term success.
President Sall noted that via the Court the international community must send a clear message that it is determined to fulfill its duty of memory, punishment and reparation towards the victims when the State does not or cannot act and to turn the page of impunity ensuring that everyone answers for their crimes, according to the rules of a fair trial.
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Ms. Patricia O’Brien, speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, commended the Court on its achievement but also noted the challenges that the Court faces and emphasized the importance of governments doing all it takes to enable the Court to carry out its work. Ms. O’Brien also recalled that the UN continued to support the work of the Court and noted that it is prepared to respond quickly and positively, wherever and whenever it can, to the Court’s requests for cooperation.
 |
The Assembly elected Mr. James Stewart (Canada) as a Deputy Prosecutor of the Court for a term of nine years. Furthermore, the Assembly elected the five members of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims, for a three-year term, namely: Mr. Sayeman Bula-Bula (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Mr. Motoo Noguchi (Japan), Ms. Elisabeth Rehn (Finland), Mr. Denys Toscano Amores (Ecuador), and Ms. Vaira Vike-Freiberga (Latvia). It also appointed the nine members of the Advisory Committee on Nominations of judges, namely: Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant (Brazil), Hiroshi Fukuda (Japan), Philippe Kirsch (Canada), Daniel David Ntanda Nsereko (Uganda), Ernest Petric (Slovenia), Mónica Pinto (Argentina), Árpád Prandler (Hungary), Bruno Simma (Germany), and Raymond Claudius Sock (Gambia).
On 15 November, the Assembly proceeded with the general debate and heard statements by 49 States Parties, 3 Observer States and 3 international organizations. On 16 November the Assembly engaged in a plenary discussion on the topic of cooperation and heard a key-note speech by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Mr. Serge Brammertz, as well as statements by other panelists and States Parties.
For further information on the eleventh session of the Assembly of States Parties, please contact Mr. Pierluigi Brillante, at +31-644032664 or at [email protected].