National Assembly clears way for International Criminal Court

The National Assembly of the Republic of Congo has given its approval for the country to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), the government reported on Wednesday. The Senate must now give its approval before the Congolese government deposits its instrument of ratification with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "The ratification of the statutes of the ICC is yet further proof that Congolese authorities are committed to upholding human rights in the Congo," a government communique stated. It added that it would now work to bring national laws into harmony with the statutes and objectives of the court. Congolese human rights groups praised the government, but urged it not to lose momentum towards ratification of the Rome Statute. "The adoption of the proposed law ratifying the Rome Statute is a great step forward in the fight against impunity," the Association pour les Droits de l'Homme et l'Univers Carceral (ADHUC) said. "While congratulating the Congolese parliament, ADHUC urges the competent authorities to take all measures necessary so that the Rome Statute is ratified as soon as possible," it added in its statement. The Rome Statute established the court on 17 July 1998, when 120 countries adopted the statute during the UN Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court. The court is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to promote the rule of law and to ensure that the most serious international crimes do not go unpunished. The Rome Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002 once 60 nations had ratified or acceded to it. Anyone who commits any of the crimes under the statute after this date will be liable for prosecution by the court. [For further information on the ICC, go to www.icc-cpi.int]