The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (or Rome Statute) is the treaty which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It sets out the Court's jurisdiction, structure and functions and it provides for its entry into force 60 days after 60 States have become Party to it. It was opened for signature on July 17, 1998 and entered into force on July 1, 2002 as the 60th instrument of ratification was deposited with the Secretary General on 11 April 2002, when 10 countries simultaneously deposited their instruments of ratification. Any perpetrator of a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court, committed after this date, is liable to prosecution. As of today, 97 States are party to the Statute. [1]

Since it is a treaty that establishes an international court, it is called a Statute (note this is a different usage of the word "statute" from that commonly used in law.)

The Statute provides for the ICC to have jurisdiction over three main classes of offences: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The treaty establishing the court gives a specific definition of genocide in Article 6, a list of crimes against humanity in Article 7, a lengthy and detailed list of war crimes in Article 8. The Statute also provides for the court to have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, but only once a definition for that crime has been adopted by an amendment to the Statute. (source) According to an ICC press release, the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC may adopt such a definition at a review conference scheduled for 2009. [2]

Only 7 nations (China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar, the United States and Yemen) voted against the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 1998. Israel, the United States and Yemen signed the statute at the end of 2000, but the United States has continued to insist on immunity for American forces.

On May 6, 2002, the Bush Administration informed the United Nations Secretary-General that "the United States does not intend to become a party to the treaty. Accordingly, the United States has no legal obligations arising from its signature on December 31, 2000." This was widely described as "unsigning" the treaty or "withdrawing" the United States' signature, although the United States in its letter did not use that terminology, and the United Nations has not removed the name of the United States from the official list of signatories.

See also

• List of States parties to the Rome Statute

External links

• official website