Statement by No Peace Without Justice to the Resumed Sixth Session of the ICC Assembly of States Parties, 2-6 June 2008 on the Location of the Review Conference
No Peace Without Justice calls on Uganda to fulfil its commitment to enact effective implementing legislation of the Rome ICC Statute and to ratify the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities before the next session of the Assembly of States Parties in November 2008.
If these commitments are met, No Peace Without Justice urges the ICC Assembly of State Parties to accept Uganda’s offer to host the Review Conference of the Rome Statute.
Holding the Review Conference in Uganda would strengthen the fight against impunity by supporting those within and outside of Government who oppose amnesties or any other form of impunity for serious crimes under international law and who wish to see a real accountability process realised.
Hosting the Review Conference is a strong statement in support of the integrity of the Court and the Rome Statute itself: as the host of the Review Conference, Uganda would be reaffirming domestically and internationally its unequivocal commitment to the Rome Statute and the principles underlying it.
Hosting the Review Conference in Uganda would also enhance the independence of the ICC in the eyes of the people of Uganda and elsewhere. If the people of Uganda are given an opportunity to see first hand the work of the Review Conference, this can demonstrate visibly that the Court does not answer to any one Government or person.
Hosting the Review Conference in Uganda would serve to strengthen and underscore the importance of the Court becoming a truly field-based institution. Too much of the work of the Court is still being conducted from headquarters and too many of the staff are based in The Hague and travel periodically to situation countries. When conditions allow it, senior staff working on situation countries should be primarily based in these countries and travel to The Hague as needed, not vice versa. Holding the Review Conference in Uganda would allow States Parties a more direct understanding of the conditions and facilities of a situation country, and contribute to a better understanding of how to effect the needed shift of the work of the Court from The Hague to the field.
We further call on the ICC and on the Government of Uganda to capitalise on this opportunity and work closely with national civil society for a renewed in-country public information and sensitisation campaign on the work of the Court, the relationship between its organs and its governance structures, to complement the outreach work being undertaken by the ICC itself.
No Peace Without Justice fully supports the criteria suggested in the “NGO Review Conference Team” in its Team paper of 15 November 2007, namely that the Review Conference should be hosted by a State that:
1. is willing and able to protect the integrity of the Rome Statute;
2. fully cooperates with the International Criminal Court (ICC);
3. can offer an adequate political climate, taking into account the substantive scope of the Review Conference; and
4. is open to liaise with and facilitates access to civil society organisations.
If, by the November 2008 session of the Assembly of State Parties, Uganda has demonstrated its commitment by adopting effective ICC implementing legislation, ratifying the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities and if it begins a dialogue with national and foreign civil society on how to capitalise on hosting the Review Conference for the dissemination of information about the Rome ICC Statute and on how to encourage civil society participation in it, the Assembly of State Parties should not hesitate to accept Uganda’s offer.
For further information, please contact Alison Smith on asmith@npwj.org
