Brussels, September 12th, 1996

Dear colleague,

this is not the first time we are writing you to ask you to support and to act in favor of the establishment of the International Criminal Court. A few months ago, we sent you an appeal that was addressed to the United Nations. Besides, last August 30th, the United Nations' Preparatory Committee adopted, after years of hard work, particularly positive conclusions since they indicated that the Preparatory Committee's work could be finished by the beginning of 1998 and that the Plenipotentiary Diplomatic Conference could be convened before the end of the same year.

The Italian Government has confirmed its availability to organize and to receive the Conference. Unfortunately, not all the U.N. Member States are yet convinced of the necessity to adopt this scenario and the delays it foresees. Besides, different types of resistance subsist concerning the necessity and the urge to establish the Court itself. This is the case of China, a consistent amount of non-aligned countries and African countries. Finally, two Union countries, France and Great-Britain, seem to lock themselves in dilatory maneuvers and, by doing so, they risk to miss the particularly favorable occasion of the kind that allowed the creation of the ad hoc Courts on the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

In New York, in the beginning of November, the United Nations' General Assembly will have to decide whether it carries the Preparatory Committee's recommendations into effect by convening a Conference in 1998, or to the contrary to surrender to the pressures and to postpone the question till doomsday.

Therefore, this moment is really important and delicate. As a matter of fact, every progress made in the last two years by the ad hoc Committees and by the Preparatory Committee could be swept out in a few days.

So, we call for your support, by asking you to sign the enclosed appeal and by warmly inviting you to intervene in your Government, why not by organizing a meeting between a parliamentary delegation and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, so that it acts with determination in favour of the quick establishment of a real international jurisdiction.

Thanking you in anticipation and sincerely yours,

Danilo Quinto Olivier Dupuis

Treasurer Member of the European Parliament

Secretary

Enclosed:

- the appeal to the U.N. Secretary General, to the President of the General Assembly and to the Member States of the General Assembly;

- the list of the first subscribers.