THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY ADDRESSED THE UNITED NATIONS PLENIPOTENTIARIES CONFERENCE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT CALLING FOR AN EFFECTIVE COURT, REFUSING ANY "ALIBI" COURT. HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO ACT FOR THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND THE LIFE TO RIGHTS.

Rome, 17th June 1998. In his statement on behalf of the TRP, at the FAO building this morning, Marino Busdachin stated:

"For the last three years the Transnational Radical Party and No Peace Without Justice International Committee have been campaigning promoting the fixation of a date and a place for the diplomatic conference. From Paris to Montevideo, from Atlanta to Dakar through a series of conferences, declarations and appeals endorsed by thousands of parliamentarians, rulers, opinion makers and people from all over the world, we have been able to raise public awareness on the issue and influence the decision making process.

From the struggle against starvation in the South of the world, to the campaign for the ad hoc Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the process of the establishment of an ICC has been a long journey for the affirmation of the "droit d'ingérence" for humanitarian reasons wich began many years ago.

From Auschwitz, to Mathausen, from Katyn to Pol Pot's killing fields we have heard the slogan - never again - for millions of times as a death bell. This Century has been the bloodiest in the history of mankind with more than 180 million people massacred in some 250 conflicts, 25 of which are going on while we are talking.

We need an ICC, and we need it now. For our human dignity, for our tireless hope for justice, to end this long chain of horrors, genocide, mass starvation, rape and violence of all sorts. We need to end impunity for those responsible for the most heinous crimes.

The TRP is waiting for a court that will work and bring to justice war criminals, a court in which the Prosecutor will be able to initiate investigations, in which funds will come from the regular budget of the United Nations, but at the same time an institution independent within the UN system.

A Court that in perspective will establish the principle of a new dimension of national sovereignty and overcome the principle of non interference. We should pass from the law of the rulers to the rule of law, and honor the principle of the right to life and the life of rights."

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