The General Assembly

Recalling its resolutions 45/41 of 28 November 1990 and 46/54 of 9 December which requested the Internatiojal Law Commission to consider the question of international criminal jurisdiction, including the possibility of establishing an international criminal court or other criminal trial mechanism,

Recalling further its resolution 47/33 of 25 November 1992 which charged the International Law Commission with the project of the elaboration of a draft statute for an international criminal court,

Recalling also its resolution 48/31 of 9 December 1993 which requested the International Law Commission to continue its work as a matter of priority with a view to elaborating a draft statute for such a court if possible at the Commissions's forty-sixth session,

Noting that the International Law Commission at its 2374th meeting adopted the text of such a statute and decided at its 2376th meeting to recommend in accordance with article 23 of its statute that an international conference of plenipotentiaries be convened to study the draft statute and to conclude a convention on the establishment of an international criminal court.

Recalling that Article VI of the Genocide Convention of 1948 refers to the possibility of trial of individuals by such international penal tribunal as may have jurisdiction with respect to those contracting parties which shall have accepted its jurisdiction,

Recalling also that the Security Council in resolution 827 of 1993 in creating an ad hoc tribunal to prosecute persons for grievous violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia stated its belief that the establishment of such a tribunal would contribute to ensuring that the violations ended and the perpetrators were brought to justice,

Convinced that international cooperation in the effective prosecution and suppression of crimes of international concern will be assisted by the creation of a permanent international criminal court,

1. DECIDES TO CONVENE A UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE OF TWO WEEK'S DURATION AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION TO BEGIN ON JULY 15, 1996;

2. AFFIRMS THAT THE CONFERENCE SHOULD CONCLUDE A CONVENTION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT;

3. ACCEPTS WITH DEEP APPRECIATION THE GENEROUS OFFER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF TO HOST THE CONFERENCE;

4. DECIDES TO ESTABLISH A PREPARATORY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OPEN TO ALL STATES MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS OR MEMBERS OF THE SPECIALIZED AGENCIES, WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF OBSERVERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY;

5. DECIDES THAT THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE SHALL HOLD AN ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION OF 5 DAYS DURATION IN MARCH 1995, A SUBSTANTIVE SESSION OF TWO WEEKS DURATION IN JULY 1995, AND TWO ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIVE SESSIONS, ALL AT UNITED NATIONS HEAD QUARTERS, IN NEW YORK, THE TIMING AND DURATION OF WHICH SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE AT ITS JULY SESSION;

6. DECIDES THAT THE PREPARATORY COMMITEE, AT ITS ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION, SHALL ELECT, WITH DUE REGARD TO EQUITABLE GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION, THE CHAIRMAN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF ITS BUREAU;

7. REQUESTS THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO MAKE APPROPRIATE SECRETARIAT ARRANGEMENTS;

8. DECIDES THAT THE PREPARATORY PROCESS AND THE CONFERENCE ITSELF SHOULD BE FOUNDED THROUGH THE REGULAR BUDGET OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND WITHIN EXISTING RESOURCES;

9. DECIDES TO ESTABLISH A VOLUNTARY FUND FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUPORTING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, IN PARTICULAR THE LEAST DEVELOPED AMONG THEM, IN PARTICIPATING FULLY AND EFFECTIVELY IN THE CONFERENCE AND IN ITS PREPARATORY PROCESS, AND INVITES GOVERNMENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUND;

10. REQUESTS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE TO REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS FIFTIETH SESSION ON THE PROGRESS OF THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE;

11. DECIDES TO INCLUDE IN THE PROVSIONAL AGENDA OF ITS FIFTIETH AND FIFTY-FIRST SESSIONS AN ITEM ENTITLED "UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE TO ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT2.