The President of the Assembly of States Parties, Mr. O-Gon Kwon (Republic of Korea), has reiterated his regret regarding the withdrawal of the Philippines, effective as of 17 March 2019, from the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court ("ICC").
President Kwon noted, "the Assembly of States Parties, comprising more than 120 States from all regions of the world, is fully committed to the Court's mandate: to help put an end to impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community."
"I sincerely hope that the departure of the Philippines from the Rome Statute is only temporary and that it will re-join the Rome Statute family in the future. Encouraging universal adherence to the Rome Statute is key in strengthening our collective efforts to promote accountability for atrocity crimes and the rule of law", said President Kwon. "The ICC relies on the continued support of the international community to ensure its effectiveness in the fight against impunity".
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The Assembly of States Parties is the management oversight and legislative body of the ICC. It is comprised of representatives of all States that have ratified and acceded to the Rome Statute. President Kwon was elected President of the Assembly for a three-year mandate in December 2017.