Human Rights Watch makes a compelling argument for supporting the International Criminal Court on the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the agreement that established the court. Much has been accomplished, but there is so much more that needs to be done:
The ICC has made considerable progress in five years of operation, but has yet to hold its first trial. It is expected that the first trial will get underway in 2009. The court has been under attack in recent months, following the request in July 2008 by the ICC prosecutor for an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan on charges including genocide in Darfur.
“With the court’s independence and integrity at risk, ICC member states should speak out forcefully to promote the ICC’s mission,” said Elizabeth Evenson, counsel in the International Justice Program of Human Rights Watch. “They should strongly defend the ICC’s independence from political interference.”
Sudanese authorities opened a campaign to try to persuade the United Nations Security Council to defer the ICC proceedings on Bashir. The African Union and the Organization of The Islamic Conference have supported Sudan’s efforts.
HRW also has an extensive report on the early years of the ICC including some important recommendations for outreach and sustaining its mission. What is abundantly clear as I have written time and again is that the Chief Prosecutor and the judges involved with the ICC have been cautious and thoughtful in their investigations and in issuing their indictments. If anyone wishes to make the case that the likes of Joseph Kony, Omar al-Bashir and Bosco Ntaganda are being railroaded, I'm all ears, but I still believe that the ICC is doing important work here, notwithstanding the hysteria of some (pdf file).
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