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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com International
In a letter dated 5 July 2012 to Indonesian President H.E. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Coalition—a global network of more than 2,500 civil society organizations in 150 countries advocating for a fair, effective and independent ICC—urged the Indonesian government to heighten its accession efforts and promptly join the ICC.
The Coalition recalled that 1 July 2012 marked the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Statute, and highlighted the achievements of this new system of international justice during the past decade, despite significant challenges that have arisen along the way. In addition, while Asia continues to be under-represented before the ICC, it is encouraging to witness the actions that are being taken by different countries in the region toward accession, including Indonesia.
“Ratification of the Rome Statute will provide ample opportunity for Indonesia to be actively involved in world peace and global justice, as well as to ensure the protection of human rights for all its citizens. By joining the system established by the Rome Statute, Indonesia will also have equal standing with other nations that have ratified this international instrument,” stated Mugiyanto, convenor of the Indonesian Coalition for the ICC.
Following Indonesia’s recent review during the 13th session of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, the Coalition praised the country’s acceptance of the 12 recommendations that it received regarding its accession to the Rome Statute, and called on government officials to maximize this opportunity and meet the target set in Indonesia’s 2011-2014 National Human Rights Plan of Action regarding accession.
“Indonesia’s membership to the ICC is consistent with its declaration of strong commitment to human rights and the rule of law. The people, especially the victims of serious crimes, stand to benefit from the standards set by the Rome Statute in international law and justice. Indonesia’s challenge of ending impunity in the country and preventing serious crimes from happening again resonate very well with ICC’s goals” said Evelyn Serrano, the Coalition’s regional coordinator for Asia-Pacific.
One hundred and twenty-one states have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, Guatemala being the most recent. To date, 17 states in Asia and the Pacific have joined the Court.
Background: The ICC is the world's first permanent international court to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Central to the Court's mandate is the principle of complementarity, which holds that the Court will only intervene if national legal systems are unwilling or unable to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. There are currently seven investigations before the Court: the Central African Republic; Cote d’Ivoire; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Darfur, the Sudan; Uganda; Kenya; and Libya. The ICC has publicly issued 20 arrest warrants and nine summonses to appear. The Court issued a judgment in its first trial on 14 March 2012. Two other trials are ongoing. The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor has also made public that it is conducting seven preliminary examinations on four continents: Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Guinea, Honduras, Republic of Korea and Nigeria.
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court is a global network of civil society organizations in 150 countries working in partnership to strengthen international cooperation with the ICC; ensure that the Court is fair, effective and independent; make justice both visible and universal; and advance stronger national laws that deliver justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. For more information, visit: www.coalitionfortheicc.org .
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