Annan applauds States, including US, for signing International Criminal Court Statute before year-end deadline

2 January - Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed his satisfaction that so many countries -- including the United States - decided to sign the Statute of the International Criminal Court before the 31 December 2000 deadline, calling it a positive signal for future efforts to bring war criminals to justice.

A statement issued by Mr. Annan's spokesman on 1 January, said that the Secretary-General viewed the signing as a "promising demonstration of the breadth of support for this new international institution, which can help to end the culture of impunity and make the 21st century qualitatively different from the 20th." The Statute was signed by 139 countries before the year-end deadline.

The spokesman said that Mr. Annan paid particular tribute to the endorsement by the United States. Pointing to the "difficulties" that President Bill Clinton faced in reaching this decision, the Secretary-General warmly congratulated the US President on his "courage and far-sightedness" in overcoming them.

"The Governments that have made this enlightened move clearly understand that the Court represents no threat to States with an organized criminal justice system," the statement said. "On the contrary, it is designed only to protect those most vulnerable people whose own Government, if they have one, is unable or unwilling to prosecute those who violate their most fundamental human rights."

With the Statute being so far ratified by 27 States, Mr. Annan expressed hope that many other countries would follow suit soon to reach the minimum of 60 ratifications needed for the Court to begin functioning.

Although the Statute is no longer open for signature, countries that have not signed it can make the Statute law through a process known as accession, which is the legal equivalent of ratification.

The Court, which will be located at The Hague, will constitute the only permanent international judicial body with jurisdiction over crimes committed by individuals. Its 13-part Statute gives the Court the authority to investigate and bring to justice individuals who commit the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.