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New York,
September 12, 2009 – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday voiced
the continued support of the United Nations for the work of the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
"The United Nations needs and wants the International Criminal Court to
succeed, and the International Criminal Court, for its part, fully
acknowledges and respects the United Nations' mandate," Ban said in a
message to the Consultative Conference on International Criminal Justice
held in New York.
"With full respect for its independent character, the United Nations
will continue to support and assist the court," he said.
Ban noted that the establishment of the ICC was "a landmark in the
efforts of the international community to enforce the applicability of
international humanitarian law, and to advance the cause of justice and
the rule of law on a universal scale."
With the recent accessions to the Rome Statute by Chile and the Czech
Republic, 110 states are now parties, and 139 are signatories. "These
latest accessions are further important steps towards the ultimate goal
of universal ratification and application of the statute," Ban said in
the message, which was delivered by UN Legal Counsel Patricia O'Brien.
The secretary-general said that the ICC has emerged as the "centerpiece
of the international system of criminal justice," after only a few years
into its existence.
The ICC is an independent, permanent court that investigates and
prosecutes people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes, and is based on a treaty known as the Rome Statute.
Source: Xinhua, September 11, 2009
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