The ICC at a Glance

The International Criminal (ICC), were established to try committed Security Council, whose governed by the Rome , is the first only within a specific time-frame and resolutions are binding on all UN member permanent, -based, international during a specific conflict, there was states, or if a State makes a declaration criminal court established to help end general agreement that an independent, accepting the of the Court. impunity for the perpetrators of the permanent criminal court was needed. On The Court is intended to complement, most serious crimes of concern to the 17 July 1998, the international community not to replace, national criminal international community. The ICC is an reached an historic milestone when 120 systems. It can prosecute cases only if independent international organisation, States adopted the Rome Statute, the national justice systems do not carry out and is not part of the United Nations legal basis for establishing the permanent proceedings or when they claim to do so system. Its seat is at in the International Criminal Court. The Rome but in reality are unwilling or unable to . Although the Court’s Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002 carry out such proceedings genuinely. This expenses are funded primarily by States after ratification by 60 countries. fundamental principle is known as the Parties to the Rome Statute, it also receives principle of complementarity. voluntary contributions from , Jurisdiction international organisations, individuals, The can initiate an investigation The ICC has jurisdiction over the corporations and other entities. or prosecution in three different ways: most serious crimes of concern to the The international community has long international community as a whole, „„ States Parties to the Statute of aspired to the creation of a permanent namely , the ICC can refer situations to the international court and, in the 20th century, and crimes, when committed after Prosecutor; it reached consensus on definitions of 1 July 2002, as well as the of „„ the United Nations Security Council genocide, crimes against humanity and war aggression, as of 17 July 2018, under can request the Prosecutor to launch crimes. The Nuremberg and Tokyo specific conditions and procedures. Each an investigation; addressed war crimes, crimes against , of these crimes is clearly defined in the and crimes against humanity committed Rome Statute and other relevant texts. „„ the Office of the Prosecutor may during the Second World War. In the 1990s The Court may exercise jurisdiction over initiate investigations proprio motu after the end of the , tribunals such international crimes only if they (on its own initiative) on the basis of like the International Criminal Tribunal were committed on the territory of a State information received from reliable for the former Yugoslavia and for Party or by one of its nationals. These sources. In this case, the Prosecutor were the result of consensus that impunity conditions, however, do not apply if a must seek prior authorisation from is unacceptable. However, because they situation is referred to the Prosecutor by the a Pre- Chamber composed of three independent .

ICC-PIOS-FS-01-007/19_Eng The ICC at a Glance

No immunity The Registry assists victims and witnesses to exercise their rights, Acting in an official capacity as a head of state, member of assists them throughout the judicial process and, if required, takes or parliament or as an elected representative or public measures for their protection. The Court may order various types of official in no way exempts a person from prosecution or criminal for victims which may include , rehabilitation responsibility. Superiors or commanders may be held and compensation. responsible for criminal offences committed by persons under their effective command and control or effective authority and control. The States Parties to the Rome Statute have established a Trust However, the ICC cannot prosecute persons who were under the Fund for Victims and families of victims of crimes within the age of 18 at the time a crime was allegedly committed. jurisdiction of the Court, to make possible some form of reparation even when the convicted person does not have sufficient assets to Rights of victims and accused make such reparation.

Under the rules and governing the ICC, victims can Protecting the rights of the accused is essential to ensure a fair trial send information to the Prosecutor concerning crimes within and effective justice. The Registry, which is responsible for defence the jurisdiction of the Court. For the first time in the history of issues, has opened a list of with a view to making sure that, international , victims have the right to participate in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and , in proceedings and request reparations. This means that they practising before the Court are competent and adhere to the Code may not only testify as witnesses, but also present their views and of Professional Conduct for Counsel throughout proceedings. The concerns at all stages of the proceedings. Participants may receive ICC provides logistical assistance and, if necessary, financial aid to legal representation and, potentially, . defence teams.

The Presidency The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) The Presidency is comprised of the President and two Vice- The Office of the Prosecutor is headed by the Prosecutor, who is Presidents. They are elected from among the 18 judges of the assisted by a Deputy Prosecutor. Both are elected by the Assembly ICC. The Presidency is responsible for the proper of States Parties. The mandate of the Office is to receive and of the Court, except for the Office of the Prosecutor. However, it analyse referrals and communications in order to determine coordinates with and seeks the agreement of the Prosecutor on all whether there is a reasonable basis to investigate, to conduct matters of mutual concern. The responsibilities of the Presidency investigations into genocide, crimes against humanity and war also include judicial functions and external relations. crimes and to prosecute persons responsible for such crimes. The OTP is an independent organ of the Court.

The Divisions The Registry Eighteen judges make up the three Divisions of the Court: Pre- The Registry is a neutral ICC organ headed by the Registrar. Trial, Trial and . Recognised for their high moral character Its core functions are to provide administrative and operational and integrity, they are chosen from candidates from throughout support to the and to the Office of the Prosecutor. It the world by the Assembly of States Parties, on the basis of their helps to service the Court and to develop effective mechanisms to competence in criminal and procedure or relevant areas of protect witnesses, assist the defence teams, as well as conducting , such as international humanitarian law and outreach activities. The Registry is also responsible for general . The judges are responsible for ensuring that the court management, security, public information, court records, trials are fair and that justice is properly administered. translation and interpretation, counsel support, support for victims to participate in proceedings and apply for reparations, and much more.

The Assembly of States Parties (ASP)

The Assembly of States Parties is the Court’s management oversight and legislative body and is composed of representatives of the States which have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute. The Assembly of States Parties has a Bureau, consisting of a President, two Vice- Presidents and 18 members elected by the Assembly for a three-year term, taking into consideration equitable geographic distribution and adequate representation of the world’s principal legal systems. It has a permanent secretariat at the seat of the Court in The Hague. The Assembly of States Parties makes decisions on various issues, such as the adoption of normative texts and the budget, the election of the judges and the election of the Prosecutor and Deputy .

InternationalCriminalCourt IntlCrimCourt icc-cpi IntlCriminalCourt

This is not an official document. It is intended for public information only. International Criminal Court: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague, The Netherlands. Postal address: PO Box 19519; 2500 CM, The Hague, The Netherlands. Tel. + 31 (0)70 515 8515; Fax. +31 (0)70 515 8555. www.icc-cpi.int