International Criminal Court

Italian Delegation - Explanation of Vote on Draft Resolution a/c.6/49/l.24

Mr. Chairman,

my delegation welcomes the Sixth Committee's adoption of the draft resolution on the establishment of an International Criminal Court, and would like to add a few remarks on the outcome of the negotiations. All the evidence indicates that these were the most difficult negotiations in this year's session.

The resolution adopted today reflects these difficulties. It is certainly a compromise text, the result of long and intense discussions over the last few weeks among delegations with different and sometimes opposite positions. Moreover, it is a text that does not meet all the expectations of my delegation. Specifically, Italy had taken a clear stand in favor of an explicit General Assembly decision to convene a diplomatic conference at an early date in order to adopt the Statute of the Court. This is a solution that we have constantly advocated in the course of the preparation of the draft resolution.

We are extremely grateful to the delegations that have supported our position, and we continue to believe that there is no reason for the UN to delay the establishment of a Permanent Court as a response to the spread of tragedies that afflict entire populations and to the blatant violations of the most fundamental humanitarian principles.

Nevertheless, Italy joined the consensus on the draft resolution because it is the only text on which consensus could be reached. The prospects for a successful establishment of an International Criminal Court are much higher if they are based on a widesread agreement. Hence we commend the efforts of all delegations to reach this agreement.

Now it is time to look at the future work of establishing the Court. Italy has already announced that it would be honored to host the diplomatic conference to this end, and is grateful that mention of our offer appears in the draft resolution. We will continue to work for the rapid adoption of the international instruments needed to establish the Court, in response to the growing demands by public opinion for a world of peace with justice and full respects for human dignity.