NPWJ welcomes Maldives as the 118th State to join the ICC

Brussels-Rome, 21 September 2011

 
Today, the Government of Maldives formally deposited its instrument of accession to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the Office of the United Nations Secretary General. The accession of Maldives to the treaty establishing the ICC brings the total number of States Parties to 118.
 
 
Statement by Alison Smith, Legal Counsel of No Peace Without Justice:
 
“No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT) welcome the accession to the Rome Statute by Maldives, which shows the commitment of all segments of its society to justice and the fight against impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We applaud the sustained efforts of civil society, media, parliamentarians and Government that were crucial in bringing about this important day after a lengthy and complex process.”
 
“This last accession to the Rome Statute, which brings to 17 the number of Asian States parties, is an important step towards universality of the Court jurisdiction in the Asian region and ensures a more active role of Asian States in the work of the Court and within its Assembly of State Parties. We hope the recent examples of Philippines and Maldives will spur other Asian countries to ratify the founding treaty of the ICC, strengthening their commitment to justice and the rule of law.”
 
“To cooperate fully with the Court and fulfil its obligation under the principle of complementarity, Maldives needs to adopt appropriate procedures and implementing legislation. Another crucial next step is for Maldives to ratify the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the ICC and we urge this new ICC State Party to move forward in this direction with all possible speed. These further steps will cement the commitment of Maldives to the victims of crimes under international law, showing the crucial role that this State recognises to accountability and justice and that they are an integral part of peace.”
 
 
For further information, please contact Alison Smith, phone +32-(0)2-548-3912, email asmith@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini, phone +32-(0)2-548-3915, email ngiovannini@npwj.org.