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On 21 September 2011, the government of the Republic of Maldives deposited its instrument of accession of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the UN. The Statute will enter into force for Maldives on 1 December 2011, bringing the total number of States Parties to the Rome Statute to 118. The Maldives will also be the 17th State Party from the Asian region.
The ICC President, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, welcomed the accession by Maldives, saying: “In March this year I had the pleasure to exchange views on the ICC with representatives from the Maldives at the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Consultation in Kuala Lumpur, and I was encouraged by the resolve they showed for moving the accession process forward in their country. I am truly delighted that those efforts have now fully materialised, and the Maldives becomes yet another state strengthening Asian participation in the Rome Statute system of international justice”.
The President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, Ambassador Christian Wenaweser also welcomed the Maldives to the Rome Statute family, saying “The accession of the Maldives sends a strong signal to the Asian region, which is still the least represented in the Assembly of States Parties. 120 States voted ‘yes’ on the Rome Statute in 1998 and I am confident that we will see the number of States Parties reaching this level by the end of the year”.
The ICC applauds Maldives’ decision to join the international community’s efforts to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes that threaten the peace, security and well-being of the world.
For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or by e-mail at: [email protected].
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