MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
considering that on 17 July 1998 the Statute of the Permanent International Criminal Court to judge war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, was approved in Rome with the favourable vote of 120 countries, among which those of the representatives of [country];
considering the positive role of [country] in the negotiations, and the historical significance of the Rome Statute that establishes, for the first time, a Court with international jurisdiction able to independently judge those responsible for the most egregious crimes under international law, even in the absence of a specific political mandate from the UN Security Council and without confining itself to the "justice of the victors";
considering that the new Court will be endowed with an independent Prosecutor, able to initiate investigations and proceedings, and able to judge crimes committed in internal conflicts and it will exercise its jurisdiction in accordance with the principle of complementarity, so as to ensure that international justice can take its course when national jurisdictions are unable or unwilling to undertake their duty to investigate and prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes;
for Parliamentarians of countries that signed the Statute on 18 July 1998:
considering that, in the course of a solemn ceremony held at the Capitol in Rome on 18 July 1998 in the presence of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the representatives of [country] signed the Rome Treaty establishing the Court, and that since then the number of signatories has risen to 58;
for Parliamentarians of countries that have signed the Statute since 18 July:
considering that [country] has signed the Rome Treaty establishing the permanent International Criminal Court on [date of signature of the country];
considering that a Preparatory Commission will be created to resolve all outstanding technical issues and to draft the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the Court, and it is scheduled to complete its work by 30 June 2000;
considering that for the Court to begin functioning, the Statute must be signed by as many States as possible, and that at least 60 States must deposit their instruments of ratification at the United Nations;
considering that the ratification by [country] must be completed as soon as possible, and in any case no later than 31 December 2000, if the remarkable achievement of the Rome Diplomatic Conference is not to be in vain, and the impetus to end the impunity enjoyed by those responsible for the most heinouscrimes, is not lost;
considering that it is necessary to work at all levels so that the States that have not yet given their support to the Statute approved in Rome might reconsider their position and adhere to this crucial development in the enforcement of the most basic rules of international law.
We the undersigned parliamentarians charge the Government:
for Parliamentarians of countries that have not signed the Statute:
a) to sign, at the earliest opportunity, the Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations;
for Parliamentarians of all countries
b) to take all appropriate steps to ensure that this Parliament is presented with a ratification bill for the Statute of the International Criminal Court, accepting its jurisdiction for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and including any necessary implementing legislation, in good time for it to be adopted by 31 December 2000;
c) to take action in all the appropriate bodies to speed up the execution of the required procedures by the Preparatory Commission, and to act bilaterally and multilaterally to persuade those States that have not yet signed or ratified the Statute of the Court to do so as soon as possible.