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NEWS: From Noticias CPI list, Chile, EU, Dominican Republic, Events

17 May 2006

Dear friends,

Find below information on the following topics:

1. CHILE: More on possible ratification. Defence Minister Blanlot and MFA Foxley on the US.
2. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NGOs urge effective implementation of the RS.
3. EVENTS: in Peru and Paraguay
4. EU/LAC SUMMIT IN AUSTRIA: Declaration of Vienna mentions ICC.

If you want to subscribe to our Spanish information list “Noticias CPI”, feel free to contact me at [email protected] If you want to subscribe to TPI Port (Portuguese info list), contact Ms. Fatima da Camara at [email protected]

Note that the articles below are in Spanish language and the translations are provided by the CICC as a service to our members and should not be quoted in any official document.

Best,

Mariana Rodriguez Pareja
CICC

1. CHILE AND THE ICC

Background: Chile is the only Spanish-speaking country in South America that is not yet State Party to the Rome Statute, even though it participated very actively in the ICC process and signed the treaty on September 11, 1998. In April 2002, the Constitutional Court ruled that a constitutional amendment was needed in order to ratify the ICC Statute. Under Lagos’ administration, the Executive has expressed in several occasions their support to the ICC Statute, and even the MFA S.E. Walker urged the Senate to approve the amendment drafted and submitted by the Executive. On October 4, 2005 the Constitution, Legislation and Justice Commission of the Senate approved the constitutional amendment that enables the ICC ratification by Chile. The approval of this amendment is another step in the ratification process. It was informed on Sept 27, 2005 that the at-that-time candidate Michelle Bachelet publicly supported the ICC. MFA Walker and Ms. Bachelet urged the Senate to ratify the Constitutional Amendment. Ms. Bachelet -former Health Minister and Defense Minister to Lagos' administration- sworn in as Chile's first woman President on March 11, 2006. Representatives from the European Union in Chile met with the Chairman of the Senate Eduardo Frei on April 10,
2006 urging the ICC Ratification. "The Chairman [of the Senate] was very nice to us. We are hopeful Chile will ratify the ICC in three of four months", said Ambassador Howadts (Austria) after the meting with Frei. On May 3rd, after a short visit to the United States, the Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Alejandro Foxley met with the members of the Constitution, Legislation and Justice Commission of the Senate and agreed the Constitutional Amendment proposed by Lagos Administration would be approved, in order to ratify the ICC Statute.

a. ABC (Paraguay) “Chile niega inmunidad a estadounidenses”- 6 May 2006
http://www.abc.com.py/articulos.php?fec=2006-05-08&pid=250801&sec=12
The Chilean Minister of Defense Ms. Vivianne Blanlot stated “It is not acceptable subscribing any bilateral agreement on special immunities before the ICC with the US”. She insisted that “there are no possibilities; we will not negotiate with the US”.

b. El Mercurio (Chile) “Adhesión al Estatuto de Roma: Chile arriesga sanción por CPI”- 6 May 2006
http://diario.elmercurio.com/2006/05/06/nacional/nacional/noticias/B117EAD4-
46E5-4BFD-A9B2-6048E4731B66.htm?id={B117EAD4-46E5-4BFD-A9B2-6048E4731B66%7
D
The decision of the government to speed up the amendment needed to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court will lead to a sanction by the US.” It adds “Governmental sources inform that Chile will not sign any agreement with the US”.

c. Prensa Latina (Cuba)"Chile mira hacia EE.UU. para adherir al Tribunal
Penal"- 10 May 2006
http://www.prensalatina.com.mx/article.asp?ID={97A205F6-7C8E-4824-B496-6A8
8D2DCDCF8})
According to diplomatic sources, Chile will hold the ICC ratification until the US withdraws the ASPA.

d. Radio Unión (Chile)"Instan a Chile a ratificar protocolo de la ONU contra la tortura"- 11 May 2006
http://www.unionradio.com.ve/Noticias/Noticia.aspx?noticiaid=167824
The International Association for the Prevention of Torture urged the Chilean government to ratify, among other important international instruments, the Rome Statute.

e. Univisión (USA) “Sería "absurdo" que EEUU sancionara a Chile por la CPI, dice canciller”- 16 May 2006 http://www.univision.com/contentroot/wirefeeds/noticias/6520050.html
The Chilean MFA Alejandro Foxley said that “it is not inaccurate” to say that the US will sanction Chile for the ICC ratification. “We are not scared about the US at all”, he added.


2. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

a. El Nuevo Diario (Dominican Republic) "Pide incorporar al Código Penal requerimientos Corte Penal Internacional"- 9 May 2006
http://elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=22117
The Chairman of the Fundacion Federalista Rommel Santos urged the Dominican Parliament to implement in the new penal Code the crimes under the Rome Statute.


3. EVENTS

A. PARAGUAY
23 May - 1 Dec
III Interdisciplinary Course on Human Rights, organized by the Defensoría del Pueblo and the Instituto de Capacitación en Derechos Humanos, includes a module on the ICC.
Asunción, Paraguay
For further information call (5982) 452602 / 5 / 452-601, de 7:00 a 15:30.

B. PERU
12 May
Seminar "International Protection of Human Rights in the Interamerican system and the International criminal court," organized by the Andean Commission of Jurists.
Chiclayo, Perú
For further information visit www.cajpe.org.pe

Please note that the Coalition is not responsible for the organizing of these events, for registration, for note-taking. The Coalition distributes these events notification as part of its mandate to distribute information related to the ICC. Please contact the organization directly concerned for additional information.

4. DECLARATION OF VIENNA

a. Terra (Spain) “Declaración de Viena impulsa 'asociación estratégica'
birregional”- 12 may 2006
http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/articulo/declaracion_viena_impulsa_asoci
acion_estrategica_877599.htm
The IV European/LAC Summit met in Austria. Head of State and government of over 60 countries worked on a document, reaffirming their support to the Rome Statute.

Related links:

a. ABC (Paraguay) “CULMINA CUMBRE DE PRESIDENTES LATINOAMERICANOS Y DE LA
UE”- 12 may 2006
<http://www.abc.com.py/articulos.php?fec= 06-05-13&pid= ;91&sec= > b. Prensa (Bolivia) “Los convocados consideran una iniciativa para crear la ‘asamblea Euro-Latinoamericana’.”- 12 may 2006 http://www.prensa.com/hoy/mundo/599493.html
c. Terra (Spain) “La UE y México quieren consolidar su acuerdo de
asociación”- 13 mayo 2006
http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/articulo/ue_mexico_quieren_consolidar_ac
uerdo_877890.htm
d. Red Bolivia (EE.UU.) “Declaración de Viena reconoce derecho de los países de decidir sobre sus recursos naturales”- 15 may 2006 http://www.redbolivia.com/noticias/Pol&#xC3;&#xAD;tica/15386.html

To see full Declaration in Spanish, visit http://www.uealc.at/includes/images/EULAC/EU-LACViennaDeclarationES.pdf
For Portuguese:
http://www.uealc.at/includes/images/EULAC/EU-LACViennaDeclarationPT.pdf

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