October 30, 1995

Statement by the Permanent Representative of Spain Mr. Juan Antonio Yanez-Barnuevo of behalf of the European Union

...We must avoid any unnecessary delay in taking steps in response to the atrocities caused by the persistence of crimes against humanity. The Court will play an important role in preventing the commission of serious breaches of international humanitarian law and serious human rights violation and will be an important instrument in avoiding impunity for those who commit such acts.

The European Union supports the recommendations of the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court, regarding the future work to be done. The Draft Articles of the International Law Commission have been the result of careful elaboration, and are indeed a very appropriate basis, although they require improvement in some respects. A consolidated text of a draft Convention that incorporates the outcome of future work, would be the best instrument on which to base the work of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries. In order to achieve this goal, a Preparatory Committee should be established further to discuss the major substantive and administrative issues arising out of the Draft Statute prepared by the International Law Commission and to draft texts.