Sixth Committee approves Drafts on Establishment to International Criminal Court....

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By a draft text on the establishment of an international criminal court (document A/C.6/53.L.9/Rev.1) , the General Assembly would ask the Secretary General to convene the Preparatory Commission , which would make practical arrangements for the Court's functioning, for three sessions in 1999,: from 16 to 26 February, 26 July to 13 August; and 29 November to 17 December. The convening of the Commission was called for under resolution F adopted by the Rome United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court held in Rome from 15 June to 17 July.

(By resolution F, the Preparatory Commission would take all possible measures to ensure the coming into operation of the International Criminal Court, without undue delay, and to make the necessary arrangements for the procedure and evidence; elements of crimes; a relationship agreement between the Court and the United Nations; basic principles governing a headquarters agreement to be negotiated between the Court and the host country (Netherlands); and a budget for the first financial year. The draft texts of the rules of procedure and evidence and of the elements of crimes shall be finalilzed before 30 June 2000.)

By other terms of the text, the Secretary-General would also be requested to make available to the Preparatory Commission secretariat services, excluding the preparation of working documents.

The General Assembly would call upon all States to consider signing and ratifying the Rome Statute, adopted at the Diplomatic Conference, and would encourage efforts to promote awareness of the results of the Conference and the provisions of the Statute. It would also acknowledge the historic significance of the adoption of the Rome Statute on the 17 July.

Also, by the draft text, the Secretary-General would be asked to invite, as observers to the Preparatory Commission, representatives of organizations and other entities that have received a standing invitation from the General Assembly pursuant to its relevant resolutions to participate, as observers, representatives of interested regional intergovernmental organizations and other interested bodies, including the International Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Furthermore, he would be requested to take steps to expand the mandate of the trust funds established in Assembly resolutions 51/207 and 52/160 for voluntary contributions towards meeting the costs of participation in the work of the Preparatory Commission of the least developed countries and specified developing countries, respectively.

The General Assembly would note that non-governmental organizations might participate in the work of the Preparatory Commission, including attending its plenary and other open meetings in accordance with the rules of procedure to be adopted by the Preparatory Commission, receiving copies of official documents and making available their materials to delegates.

A statement submitted by the Secretary - General (document A/C.6/53/L.21) says requirements for secretariat services to the Preparatory Commission would be absorbed within the resources approved under section 6 (Legal affairs) of the programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999, on the explicit understanding that no working documents would be prepared by the Secretariat. Accordingly, no additional requirement would arise should the General Assembly adopt the draft resolution on the establishment of an International Criminal Court.

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