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Updates on Iraq

31 Dec 2005

On February 15, 2005 the Council of Ministers of Iraq’s Interim government led by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi issued Order Number 20, announcing Iraq’s decision to accede to the Rome Statute. The press release stated that Iraq’s accession would become effective from the date it was published in the official newspaper and noted that the Council of Ministers had decided to join the Court because the provisions of the Rome Statute embody the highest values shared by all of humanity and also because most of its provisions can be found in existing international treaties. On March 1, 2005, Iraq’s interim government withdrew its accession to the Rome Statute and cancelled its earlier decision to join the ICC without any explanation. There have been no reports on decisions on the ICC by the Iraqi transitional government, which took office on April 28, 2005.

An Iraqi Coalition for the ICC, comprised of 16 NGOs based in Iraq, was launched on May 28, 2005 following a CICC-FIDH roundtable in Amman, Jordan: “The ICC and the Iraqi Special Tribunal: Access to Justice and the Place of Victims.”