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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.
Audio Visual Resources
Author Title Date
UN and Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the UN
11674|11879

30 Apr 2010
Conference Reports and Declarations
Author Date and Title
PGA
31 Oct 2008
Santo Domingo Plan of Action on the Rule of Law & the ICC
Latin American NGOs
03 Oct 2008
Declaration of Guatemala
FIDH
18 Aug 2006
Report on FIDH-CICC Roundtable on ICC Ratification and Implementation in Yemen (January 2004)
FIDH
10 July 2006
Report on FIDH-CICC-IHRLI Roundtable on ICC Ratification and Implementation in Bahrain (June 2004)
Parlamento Latinoamericano
26 Oct 2001
VI Reunión conjunta de la Comisión Interparlamentaria Latinoamericana sobre Derechos Humanos (CILDH) y de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Parlamento Latinoamericano
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, HRW, ILANUD, CICC
01 Aug 2001
Summary of the "Regional Seminar on Ratification and Implementation of the Rome Statute of the ICC" (in Spanish)
PGA
20 Feb 2001
Plano de Acção relativo à ratificação do TPI nos países Lusófonos (in Portuguese)
Core Texts
Author Date and Title
17 July 1998
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
Draft Legislation
Author Date and Title
Mexico
29 Sept 2002
Proposed Constitutional Amendment
Poder Ejecutivo
09 Apr 2002
Mensaje del Presidente de la Republica con el que se inicia un Proyecto de Reforma Constitucional que autoriza al Estado de Chile para aprobar el Estatuto de Roma, que crea la Corte Penal Internacional
Government and Inter-governmental Documents
Author Date and Title
EU
19 Feb 2013
Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Côte d'Ivoire
France
18 Feb 2013
Côte d’Ivoire’s adhesion to International Criminal Court
EU
14 Oct 2011
Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Cape Verde
H.E. Ambassador Christian Wenaweser
24 June 2011
Accession of Tunisia to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Statement by H.E. Ambassador Christian Wenaweser President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
EU
20 May 2011
Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Grenada
EU
14 Oct 2010
Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by the Republic of Moldova
EU
19 Aug 2010
Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Saint Lucia
NGO Letters, Papers, Reports, and Statements
Author Date and Title
CICC
02 Apr 2013
ICC Recommendations for the 16th session of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (22 April - 3 May 2013)
CICC
07 Jan 2013
ICC Recommendations at the 15th session of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (21 January -1 February 2013)
CICC
05 Oct 2012
CICC Recommendations 14th session UN Human Rights Council-Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
Deborah Ruiz Verduzco (PGA)
12 June 2012
The ICC at the UPR
CICC
26 Oct 2011
Letter to Libya's NTC urging ratification of the Rome Statute
FOHRID
23 Nov 2010
Need of accession to the Rome Statute of ICC by Nepal
FOHRID
12 Oct 2010
Brief report of Interaction program on Importance of accession to the Rome Statute of ICC by Nepal
CCPI
26 Aug 2010
Exemple de lettre aux Etats parties à la CPI exhortant qu’ils ratifient l’APIC à l’avance de la Cérémonie des traités des Nations Unies
CCPI
25 Aug 2010
Exemple de lettre aux Etats non parties à la CPI exhortant qu’ils ratifient le Statut de Rome et l’APIC à l’avance de la Cérémonie des traités des Nations Unies
CICC
24 Aug 2010
Sample letter to ICC States Parties urging ratification of APIC in advance of UN Treaty Event
CICC
19 Aug 2010
Brief Review of Select Advocacy Efforts and Activities Conducted to Promote Ratification in St. Lucia and in the Caribbean
CICC
04 Aug 2010
Sample letter to Non ICC States Parties in advance of Rome Statute & APIC UN Treaty Event
PGA and Parliament of Uganda
28 May 2010
Kampala Plan of Action for the Effectiveness and Universality of the Rome Statute
CICC
05 May 2010
Pristina Declaration: CICC Europe Regional Strategy Meeting
CICC
Mar 2010
Towards Universality - Campaign for Ratification: Bangladesh 1999-2010
CICC
09 Feb 2010
CICC calls on state parties to ratify the APIC and implement the Rome Statute within their domestic legislation
CICC
09 Feb 2010
CICC calls on non state parties to ratify the Rome Statute before the Review Conference and implement said Statute within their domestic legislation
Centro de Estudios de Guatemala
06 Oct 2008
Informe Especial: Corte Penal Internacional, una oportunidad para Guatemala
CGS
09 Nov 2006
Chad joins the ICC: Analysis and Implications for the Darfur Crisis
CICC
01 Aug 2006
Other Related Actions to Support the Campaign: Nepal
CICC
01 Aug 2006
Letter sent by the CICC to H.E. Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal
CICC
21 July 2006
Bibliography on Ratification and Implementation
Nigeria Coalition on the ICC
14 Sept 2005
Enugu Declaration at the Judicial Colloquium on the Rome Statute of the ICC
CICC
Sept 2003
NGO Media Outreach: Using the Media as an Advocacy Tool
Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) Movement
18 Jan 2003
Resolution adopted by the Plenary of the "Economic Empowerment for Human Rights and Good Governance", a tri-ennial meeting of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) Movement, organized by the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC) and the Tong
Rights & Democracy and ICCLR
15 Aug 2002
Manual for the Ratification and Implementation of the Rome Statute
CICC
01 July 2002
Statement by William Pace, Convenor of CICC, on the occasion of the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the ICC, and also relating to the efforts of the US government to amend the Rome Statute (New York, USA)
International Association for Defense Lawyers
25 June 2002
Statement on the establishment of the International Criminal Court
International Federation of Social Workers
15 Apr 2002
Appeal for support for the establishment of an independent and effective International Criminal Court (ICC), by President Imelda Dodds and Secretary-General Tom Johannessen (New York, USA)
CICC
11 Apr 2002
Statement at the Special Plenary during the 9th Session of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court (New York, USA)
Women’s Caucus for Gender Justice
11 Apr 2002
Statement by Vahida Nainar, Board Member of the Women’s Caucus on Gender Justice, on behalf of the NGO Coalition for the ICC, during the UN press conference (New York, USA)
HRW
Mar 2001
La Compatibilidad del Estatuto de Roma con Ciertas Disposiciones Constitucionales Alrededor del Mundo
American Bar Association (ABA)
01 Feb 2001
Resolution by the International Law Section of the American Bar Association, urging the United States Government to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
HRW
27 Nov 2000
Submission to the Australian Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Inquiry into The Statute Of The International Criminal Court
HRW
05 Aug 2000
Questions Raised on Rome Statute by Costa Rican Legislative Assembly
NGO Media Statements
Author Date and Title
CICC
27 Oct 2011
COALITION URGES THE NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL OF LIBYA TO PRIORITIZE RATIFICATION OF THE ROME STATUTE
No Peace Without Justice
13 Oct 2011
NPWJ welcomes Cape Verde as the 119th State to join the ICC
CICC
12 Oct 2011
Cape Verde Becomes 119th State to Join International Criminal Court
CICC
21 Sept 2011
Maldives Joins the International Criminal Court as 118th State Party
Amnesty International
24 June 2011
Tunisia joins International Criminal Court
CICC
24 June 2011
Global NGO Coalition Welcomes Tunisia as the 116th ICC State Party
NPWJ
24 June 2011
No Peace Without Justice welcomes Tunisia as 116th ICC State Party
Quotes and Statements