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> A Universal Court with Global Support > Ratification and Implementation > Ratification of the Rome Statute

Supporting ratification of the Rome Statute is crucial to making membership in the ICC truly global and universal. The Rome Statute entered into force after achieving 60 ratifications in July 2002, decades earlier than predicted. Now, only a few years later, the number of ratifications/accessions has risen from 66 to 120. The 120th accession by Vanuatu on 4 December 2011 represents an important milestone in advancing towards universal ratification of the Rome Statute. In order for the ICC to succeed, a growing majority of the world’s nations must support the Court and the Rome Statute and actively cooperate in areas such as providing evidence, surrendering indicted individuals and holding national trials.

For most nations, the key challenge in convincing governments to consider ratification is educational. The Coalition plays an important role in terms of providing accurate and updated information about international justice and the ICC. The Coalition also assists countries in addressing any possible constitutional and legislative obstacles to ratification, in addition to actively engaging in efforts to stimulate and generate the necessary political will for countries to become states parties to the Court.

The Coalition has redoubled its ratification efforts in regions of the world, particularly those underrepresented at the ICC, such as Asia and the Middle East. Political changes in recent years have indicated a new openness in some countries in which governments have previously been hesitant to join the Rome Statute system. The CICC’s ratification campaign strongly encourages signatory and non-signatory states alike to entrench their commitment to international justice and ratify or accede to the Rome Statute.

Currently the Rome Statute of the ICC has 139 Signatories and 122 Ratifications
Ratification Chart by Region (based on the categories adopted by the CICC)
Signatories of the Rome Statute
Signatures/Ratification of the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the ICC

* 10 countries deposited their instrument of ratification simultaneously at a special UN ceremony on 11 April 2002, crossing the threshold of 60 ratifications needed for the Rome Statute to enter into force. Due to their concerted efforts, each country was designated the 60th State Parties member.