To the attention of Dr. Wolfgang Schussel

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria

Fax: 0043 - 1- 53.18.52.01

Brussels, 3August, 1999

Excellency,

I take the liberty to address You with a very important question of the International Criminal Court, whose existence and effective functioning is a fundamental prerequisite for the real Rule of Law world-wide and for the future of every individual.

As you know, so far 83 States, including Your country, have signed the Statute of the International Criminal Court, but only four have ratified it: Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, San Marino and Italy.

The Transnational Radical Party and the organization No Peace Without Justice have launched a worldwide campaign in order to have before the end of the year 2000 at least 60 states that have ratified the Statute of the Court, which is the necessary condition to make possible that the new millennium begins with this first international and permanent jurisdiction.

We are therefore very pleased at the initiative undertaken by Liberales Forum and enrolled by unanimous vote by the rest of the Austrian Parliament in May this year, charging the Government to submit to the Parliament the Statute of the ICC and facilitate the ratification process, as well as to solicit, in the framework of the Austian Foreign Minister's bilateral contacts, the States which have not yet signed the Rome Treaty, to do so as soon as possible.

However, I would be very interested to learn whether You and Your Government have already prepared and presented to the Parliament a legislative project in this matter and which are the prospects for the conclusion of the ratification process in Your country.

Thank you very much in advance for Your kind reply.

Sincerely Yours,

Olivier Dupuis

Member of European Parliament,

Secretary General of Transnational Radical Party

Tel 0032-2-284.71.98

Fax 0032-2-284.91.98