International Criminal Court

Since the International Criminal Court was set up in 2002, it has established
itself as a corner-stone of international justice. The UK has had a long-
standing reputation for promoting and supporting the work of the Court. In
2010, the UK provided political and practical support to the Court for its
ongoing cases and investigations. For example, we welcomed the Kenyan
government’s commitment to co-operate fully with the Court’s investigation
and provided £200,000 to support measures to protect and relocate
vulnerable witnesses. We consistently encouraged the Kenyan government
to stand by its obligations under the Rome Statute and as a UN member
state. We made clear our disappointment that President Bashir of Sudan was
allowed to visit Kenya in defiance of the Court’s arrest warrants for war
crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

We also supported the growth and consolidation of the Court at the first-ever
Review Conference in Kampala in June. We made three pledges at the
conference, setting out our commitment to cooperate with the Court; deliver
justice to the victims of crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction; and promote
wider ratification of the Rome Statute. We also donated £40,000 to the
Court’s Trust Fund for Victims, which assists victims to rebuild their lives and
communities. We will announce a further substantial donation to this fund in
2011. We will also explore opportunities to provide further support for victims
and for developing national capacity and action to combat impunity.

The Review Conference also considered amendments to the original Rome

Statute, which has not been revised since it was first agreed in 1998. States
Parties considered including a definition of the crime of aggression and
establishing the conditions under which the Court could exercise its
jurisdiction over this crime; and including the use of certain weapons in a non-
international armed conflict as a war crime, in particular bullets that flatten on
impact and toxic gases. We will now consider whether to ratify the
amendments agreed at the Review Conference.
Throughout 2010, the UK participated actively in working groups in New York
and The Hague to support and develop management and oversight of the
Court to ensure that it continues to mature as an efficient and effective
institution. We led negotiations at the International Criminal Court’s Assembly
of States Parties in December to agree a new independent oversight
mechanism, as part of a robust and transparent management system.

The year 2011 is likely to see the first judgment from the Court, with two other
ongoing trials continuing and the possibility of three other trials starting.
Further trial and pre-trial activity is likely to take place on the Court’s new
investigation in Libya, which was opened on 3 March 2011 following a
unanimous decision of the UN Security Council to refer the Libya situation to
the ICC. We will work closely with key partners to ensure that the Court
continues to receive international support and cooperation and to combat
attempts to undermine it.