On 6 and 7 October 2014, the President of the Assembly of States Parties ("the Assembly"), H.E. Ms. Tiina Intelmann visited Ukraine, a State not Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ("the Court"), for high-level consultations on prospects of ratification of the Rome Statute.
President Intelmann met with officials from the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice. The officials clarified the timing and modalities of an amendment to the Ukrainian constitution which would allow Ukraine to ratify the Statute. The President also engaged in consultations with members of the Constitutional Court and of the Verkhovna Rada, the Parliament of Ukraine.
In her meetings the President expressed her hope that Ukraine will follow up on its article 12(3) declaration with the ratification of the Rome Statute to enjoy the full protection of the Rome Statute system. President Intelmann also shared information on the work of the Assembly, including on cooperation with and political support to the Court, highlighted the efforts of ratification of the Amendments on the Crime of Aggression adopted by the Review Conference held in Kampala in 2010, and stressed the importance of adopting legislation incorporating the crimes contained in the Rome Statute at the domestic level.
President Intelmann also delivered lectures at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Kyiv Institute of International Relations to raise awareness about the Rome Statute system.
Addressing the diplomatic community at a reception by the Embassy of Estonia in Kiev, President Intelmann highlighted that "the Rome Statute has become part of a core package of international treaties that States consider ratifying."
President Intelmann also met with members of civil society that are promoting Ukraine's ratification of the Rome Statute.
Background information
Ukraine signed the Rome Statute on 20 January 2000. Ukraine acceded to the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Court on 29 January 2007, and to date is the only State not Party to the Rome Statute to be party to the APIC. The 2001 Criminal Code of Ukraine contains certain crimes defined in the Rome Statute. On 17 April 2014, the Government of Ukraine lodged a declaration under article 12(3) of the Rome Statute accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC over alleged crimes committed on its territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. In line with the policy of the Office, upon the receipt of the declaration the Prosecutor opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Ukraine.