English |Español |Français |Arabic |Browse documents by other languages

> Delivering on the promise of a fair, effective and independent Court > Review Conference of the Rome Statute > Proposal of Belgium on amendments to Article 8 of the Rome Statute

Belgium submitted to the 8th session of the ASP three proposals for amendments to Article 8 of the Rome Statute regarding the criminalization of certain weapons as war crimes. Of the three proposals it was decided that only the first of the proposals put forward by Belgium would be submitted to the Review Conference.

This first proposal extends the criminalization of the use of poison, poisoned weapons, asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases and all analogous liquids, materials or devices as well as the use of bullets that expand or flatten in the body to armed conflicts not of an international character. The use of the weapons listed in this draft amendment is already incriminated by article 8, paragraph 2, b), xvii) to xix) of the Statute in case of an international armed conflict.

The following will be submitted to the Review Conference:

Amendment 1

1. Add to article 8, paragraph 2, e), the following: “ xvii) Employing poison or poisoned weapons;

xviii) Employing asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all analogous liquids, materials or devices;

xix) Employing bullets which expand or flatten easily in the human body, such as bullets with a hard envelope which does not entirely cover the core or is pierced with incisions.”

For more information on this issue, please contact Alix Vuillemin at the CICC Secretariat.