ABA also recalls its long-standing support of the ICC and its efforts to advocate for enhanced US-ICC relations.
The Hague, The Netherlands, Nov. 19, 2015 - Before the 14th Session of Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the American Bar Association (ABA) stressed the importance of judicial independence and robust support of courts, and urged the ASP to uphold these principles with respect to the ICC.
Kip Hale, Director of the ABA’s ICC Project
The statement was the first by the ABA before the esteemed body of countries who are members of the ICC. Senior Counsel of the ABA Center for Human Rights and Director of the ABA’s ICC Project, Kip Hale, addressed the ASP on behalf of the ABA.
Noting that it has supported the establishment of a permanent international criminal court since 1978, Hale recalled that the ABA has also urged the United States to join the ICC and to provide greater support to ICC cases. To implement the ABA’s long-standing policy positions in support of the ICC, the ABA’s ICC Project was established in 2011, specifically to “advocate for enhanced US-ICC relations and on the vital role of international criminal justice on world peace and security.” Hale made special mention of the distinguished, multinational Board of Advisors that provides valuable guidance to the Project and its work.
Turning to the future of the ICC, Hale stated that the ABA “strongly believes that the rule of law and its numerous benefits are only realized when judicial independence is fully respected, and courts are empowered to fulfill their mandates.” It is for these reasons, he stressed, that the ABA will continue “to support the efforts of this august Assembly of States Parties and all its members to nurture the Court, to protect the Court’s independence, to resource it appropriately, and to ensure that its judicial orders are executed.”
Please read the ABA’s official written statement to the ASP below.
The American Bar Association’s (ABA) International Criminal Court (ICC) Project is an independent initiative of the ABA Center for Human Rights that advances international criminal justice and US-ICC relations through advocacy, education and practical legal assistance. More information about the ABA’s ICC Project can be found at its website.