ICC Ratifications on the Rise.

As the world focuses on terrorism, the proponents of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have stepped up the pace of national ratifications. During the 80-day period from September 11th to November 30th, nine nations ratified the ICC. (In the equivalent period before September 11th, there were only three ratifications.) The latest nations to ratify are: Nigeria, September 27th; Liechtenstein, October 2nd; Central African Republic, October 3rd; United Kingdom, October 4th; Switzerland, October 12th; Peru, November 10th; Nauro and Poland, November 12th; and Hungary, November 30th. The total number of ratifications now stands at 47, only 13 short of the 60 nations that the UN claims are required to bring the ICC into operation.

The UK's Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeremy Greenstock, told those in attendance on the occasion of his nation's ratification: "I am delighted to deposit the UK's ratification of the ICC today, making it the 42nd State Party to the Rome Statute for the ICC." Ambassador Greenstock also commented on the prospects of U.S. ratification: "The US is one of the UK's strongest allies, and the UK hopes the US will continue working with us in creating a permanent ICC. It is important to have the US in the ICC process and I hope the US will ratify the ICC Statute as soon as possible."

On the same occasion, William R. Pace, head of a 1,000-member NGO network known as the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, enthused that the UK's decision "ensures that the International Criminal Court will come into existence in 2002. The UK recognizes the ICC will be a powerful international legal tool in the fight against global terrorism." The coalition stated in an October 4th press release: "Leading human rights experts, including Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have asserted that once the ICC is created it would have jurisdiction over acts such as those committed on September 11."