From: Transnat.List@agora.stm.it

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Subject: No Impunity for Crimes Against Humanity

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GIVE JUSTICE A CHANCE!

(New York Times, Friday, October 28, 1994)

Yesterday in Somalia, today in Rwanda and in Bosnia and tomorrow in other

parts of the world, crimes against humanity are being and will be

committed. Genocide. Massacres. acts of vengeance. Innocents condemned to

death and executed. Yet the world can only stand by and watch. Without an

authority at the international level to enforce justice, the perpetrators

of these brutal acts can continue to kill without fear, without guilt, with

impunity.

This must change - and it can. But we -all of us - must act now.

At the request of the United Nations, the International Law Commission has

drafted a constitution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) - along

guidelines developed by the Tribunal for War Crimes established to deal

with cases arising in the former Yugoslavia. The International Criminal

Court would be empowered to intervene in every part of the world where

crimes are committed against humanity.

The ICC, however, cannot be established unless the Sixth Committee - which

is currently meeting - and the General Assembly decide to convene an

international conference in 1995 to negotiate the draft statute and

conclude a convention. The Sixth Committee will announce its decision

sometime in November.

In other words, the power to bring these criminals to justice can begin

now, or it can be postponed indefinitely. The decision rests with the Sixth

Committee, the General Assembly - and all of us who care about humanity.

As Nobel Laureates, parliamentarians, mayors and citizens of the world, we

have signed an appeal addressed to the highest UN authorities and to the

delegates of the Member states, urging them to institute the ICC. We are

also urging the United States, as the world's leading democracy and

defender of human rights to support this position although, ironically, the

U.S. appears to want to postpone the establishment of the Court.

That is why we now ask that you:

* Write, call or fax the President of the U.N. General Assembly and the

Chairperson of the Sixth Committee to recommend the adoption by the Sixth

Committee of the draft constitution of the ICC and the convening of an

international conference in 1995 : Fax (212) 963-4879.

* Write, call or fax and send E-mail to President Bill Clinton to urge that

the U.S. support the adoption by the Sixth Committee of the draft

consitution of the ICC and the convening an international conference in

1995: E-Mail address: president@whitehouse.gov

* Write, call or fax your Senators to ask that they support the adoption by

the Sixth Committee of the draft constitution of the ICC and the convening

an international conference in 1995: Capitol Hill: (202) 224-3121.

The world need not stand by in the presence of assault to humanity. Our

joint effort can help humanity by establishing internationally enforced

laws and justice.