Today, Tunisia formally deposited its instrument of accession to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the Office to UN Secretary General’s office. Tunisia’s ratification brings the total number of States Parties to the Court to 116 and is an important step towards universal support for ending impunity, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
A delegation of the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT) lead by Marco Pannella, former Member of the European Parliament and President of the Senate of NRPTT, together with the Secretary General of No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, the Italian Senator Marco Perduca, Matteo Angioli of Radicali Italiani and Greta Barbone (NPWJ), is currently in Tunis in order to meet with several representatives of the Tunisian Government and members of Human Rights Organisations, to prepare the General Council of the NRPTT, which will take place in Tunis from 22 to 24 July 2011.
Statement by Niccolo’ Figa-Talamanca, Secretary General of No Peace Without Justice:
“No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the Transnational Nonviolent Radical Party (TNRP) congratulate Tunisia for this very important step, which is also an indication that Tunisia intends to fulfil the human rights commitments announced when the interim government first began its work. Tunisia’s democratic revolution spurred other countries in the MENA region to take action: we hope Tunisia ’s actions today will likewise encourage other MENA States to join, particularly those emerging from repression and dictatorship.
“We look forward to Tunisia implementing the principle of complementarity, through taking action itself to address human rights violations in Tunisia before and during the revolution. Tunisia has begun this process by establishing the National Investigation Commission into Violations Committed since 17 December 2010, which can play an important role in providing acknowledgment and redress for the victims and in strengthening the rule of law throughout the country. We hope that Tunisia will do more to look before the events of December 2010, so that the new democratic Tunisia will be built on a solid foundation of protecting and promoting human rights.”
“Now that Tunisia has ratified the Rome ICC Statute, it must ensure that it has in place appropriate procedures to enable it to cooperate fully with the ICC and to fulfill its complementarity obligations. We look forward to Tunisia taking this next critical step as soon as possible, further solidifying its commitment to the victims of these crimes and to justice as an integral part of peace.
For more information, please contact Alison Smith on asmith@npwj.org or +32-(0)2-548-3912, or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32-2-548-39 15.
