On this World Day for International Justice, CCLA stands with nine national human rights organizations to urge states to defend the international rule of law in the face of attacks by the United States.
“As national human rights organizations working across every region of the globe, we are alarmed by the campaign announced by the United States Department of State to “dismantle” the International Criminal Court (ICC) “brick by brick”.”
“This is not the first time the ICC has faced such pressure, but the scale and explicitness of this campaign represent a dangerous escalation that could reach far beyond any single case or situation: they are an attempt to intimidate an independent judicial body out of existence, and to punish the states, organizations, and individuals who cooperate with it.”
“We reject the argument that any state can be exempt from scrutiny because of its power or its role in global security arrangements. The strength of the international human rights and justice systems depends precisely on their universality — on the principle that they apply equally, or to no one.”
“We call on all states — and in particular on States Parties to the Rome Statute — to publicly and concretely defend the Court’s independence, to resist pressure to withdraw support or cooperation, and to protect ICC officials, staff, and those who cooperate with its work from retaliation.”
Read the full joint statement from INCLO members here.
