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The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Kazakhstan
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court calls on The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Kazakhstan to join the Rome Statute of the ICC as soonas possible.

The Bahamas and Jamaica should take the necessary steps to join the other 11 CARICOM states (of the 14 CARICOM member states with treaty making capacity) in embracing the Rome Statute and becoming a state party of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The scales of justice have tilted in the Caribbean decisively in favor of international justice and it is time for these two countries to embrace this new system of respect for the rule of law and the defense of human rights

In addition, the Coalition calls on Kazakhstan to take the necessary steps to accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Central Asia remains significantly underrepresented in the Court’s system. To date, only one Central Asian republic – Tajikistan – is a state party. The region also includes two signatories that have yet to complete the process of ratification (Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) as well as two non-signatories (Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan). Increased ratifications of the Statute in Central Asia would further strengthen the global voice at the Court and result in more robust and meaningful participation in the struggle to establish a truly fair, effective and independent ICC.

As states parties, The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Kazakhstan would be able to actively participate in a more significant manner in the annual Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the ICC during which states make important decisions in relation to the administration of the Court, including the election of judges, prosecutors, and other Court officials.

The Coalition therefore appeals to The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Kazakhstan to join the Rome Statute and to fully support the first permanent, independent court capable of investigating and bringing to justice individuals who commit the most serious violations of international law, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

Take Action Now!

Urge The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Kazakhstan to join the Rome Statute to join the Rome Statute as soon as possible!

You might like to use the following letters for each region as a guide. Please be sure to “cc” all contacts below when sending your letters and also send a copy to us at [email protected]

Please note that any letter that you or anyone else outside the CICC Secretariat sends as part of this campaign should be written in an individual capacity or on behalf of your organization, not on behalf of the Coalition for the ICC. This policy should also be observed by members of national or regional coalitions of the CICC.


FOR THE BAHAMAS

Write a letter to The Right Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, to encourage his government to ratify the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Sample letter

Your Excellency,

I am writing to respectfully call on your government to promptly ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Your Excellency, as you are aware, the Caribbean region played a pivotal role in the establishment of the first permanent international court capable of trying the most heinous crimes known to mankind. The motion set forth in 1989 by Trinidad and Tobago requesting the United Nations General Assembly to consider the establishment of the International Criminal Court gained important support from a number of states, including all CARICOM member states. Since then, the Caribbean region has continued to be an important supporter of the Rome Statute system, and to date, only three CARICOM states – The Bahamas, Jamaica and Haiti– have yet to ratify the Statute.

With Guatemala’s recent accession to the Rome Statute on 2 April 2012, there are now 121 states parties to the treaty, demonstrating that the International Criminal Court is steadily advancing toward universality. Each ratification contributes toward the reduction of safe havens for the authors of these gross human rights violations and increases state cooperation with the ICC. Moreover, as it celebrates its tenth anniversary, the Court’s work load continues to grow. On 14 March 2012, it issued its landmark first judgment in The Prosecutor vs. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo case, setting an important precedent that resonated globally. The Court is also conducting seven other investigations, and eight preliminary examinations.

Your Excellency, with almost all CARICOM members as members of the ICC, the scales of justice in the Caribbean have tilted decisively in favor of the Rome Statute. I urge The Bahamas, a country that signed the treaty back in 2000, to adopt a firm political commitment to support the ICC and take concrete actions to ratify the Rome Statute without further delay.

Sincerely,


Send your letter to:

H.E. Mr. Hubert Alexander Ingraham, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Office of the Prime Minister (and Ministry of Finance)
Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield Centre
P O Box CB 10980
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas
Telephone: (242)327-5826/7
Fax: (242)327-5806
Email: [email protected]

Mall Drive
P. O. Box F 60137
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Telephone: 242-352-8525/7
Fax: 242-352-8520

H.E. Mr. Brent Symonette, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Goodmans Bay Corporate Center, West Bay St.
P. O. Box N 3746
Nassau, N.P, The Bahamas
Telephone: 242-322-7624/5
Fax: 242-328-8212; 242-326-2123
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

H.E. Mr. John K. F Delaney, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
Office of the Attorney General & Ministry of Legal Affairs
7th Floor Post Office Building
East Hill Street
N-3007
Nassau, N.P, The Bahamas
Phone: 242-322-1141/4
Fax: 242-502-0400; 322-2255 (Legal); 356-4179 (PS); 322-5921 (Min)
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

H.E. Ms. Paulette Bethel, Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to the United Nations
231 East 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: 212- 421-6925, 421-6926, 421-6929
Fax: 212-759-2135
Email: [email protected]


FOR JAMAICA

Write a letter to The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica, to encourage her government to ratify the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Sample letter

Your Excellency,

I am writing to respectfully call on your government to promptly ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Your Excellency, as you are aware, the Caribbean region played a pivotal role in the establishment of the first permanent international court capable of trying the most heinous crimes known to mankind. The motion set forth in 1989 by Trinidad and Tobago requesting the United Nations General Assembly to consider the establishment of the International Criminal Court gained important support from a number of states, including all CARICOM member states. Since then, the Caribbean region has continued to be a strong supporter of the Rome Statute system, and to date, only three CARICOM states – The Bahamas, Jamaica and Haiti– have yet to ratify the Statute.

With Guatemala’s recent accession to the Rome Statute on 2 April 2012, there are now 121 states parties to the treaty, demonstrating that the International Criminal Court is steadily advancing toward universality. Each additional ratification contributes toward the reduction of safe havens for the authors of these gross human rights violations and increases state cooperation with the ICC. Moreover, as it celebrates its tenth anniversary, the Court’s work load continues to grow. On 14 March 2012, it issued its landmark first judgment in The Prosecutor vs. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo case, setting an important precedent that resonated globally. The Court is also conducting seven other investigations, and eight preliminary examinations.

Complementarity, one of the most central tenets of the Rome Statute system, recognizes the primary jurisdiction of states in investigating and prosecuting individuals who have allegedly committed crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC. In this context, ratification of the Statute also offers states an opportunity to strengthen their own national systems, adopting definitions for international crimes that are more in line with the Statute, and that reflect developments in international law.

Your Excellency, Jamaica is a leader in the Caribbean and has historically spearheaded efforts in the fight against impunity. As has been clearly described by The Hon. Patrick Robinson, Judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Jamaica was among the first set of countries, if not the first, to enact legislation imposing trade sanctions against apartheid South Africa and, furthermore, through the leadership of former Premier Shearer, advocated successfully for the designation of the International Year of Human Rights in 1968.

Despite these efforts to fight against impunity, public statements made by your government indicate that although Jamaica remains committed to ratifying the Statute, legal and political challenges have prevented it from advancing in its ratification efforts. I trust that these hurdles will be promptly solved and that the necessary political support required to prioritize the task of adopting Rome Statute implementing legislation- a prerequisite that I understand has been deemed necessary for ratification by your country - will be generated so as to ensure that Jamaica joins its fellow Caribbean neighbors as an additional state party to the Rome Statute.

With almost all CARICOM members as members of the ICC, the scales of justice in the Caribbean have tilted decisively in favor of the Rome Statute and it is imperative that Jamaica, which signed the treaty in 2000, take concrete actions to ratify the Rome Statute.

Sincerely,


Send your letter to:

H.E. Mrs. Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister (Defense, Development, Information and Sports)
Jamaica House
1 Devon Road
Kingston 10
Telephone: 927-9941-3; 927-9942-3
Fax: 929-0005
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.opm.gov.jm

H.E. Mr. Arnold Nicholson, QC, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
21 Dominica Drive
Kingston 5
Telephone: 926-4220-8
Fax: 929-6733
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website: www.mfaft.gov.jm

H.E. Mr. Mark Golding, Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
NCB Towers
2 Oxford Road
Kingston 5
Telephone: 906-4923-31; 906-2414
Fax: 906-4983
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.moj.gov.jm

H.E. Mr. Raymond Wolfe, Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the United Nations
767 Third Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: 212-935-7509
Fax: 212-935-7607
Email: [email protected]
Fax: www.un.int/jamaica


FOR KAZAKHSTAN

Write a letter to H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, to encourage his government to accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Sample letter

Your Excellency,

I am writing to urge you to ensure Kazakhstan’s prompt accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

The Court’s recent verdict in its first trial and its ongoing investigations in Uganda, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur (Sudan), Kenya, Libya and Côte d’Ivoire signify that this cornerstone of the international justice system is advancing in its crucial work to end impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Kazakhstan’s support through accession of the Rome Statute is therefore of utmost importance.

The Rome Statute came into force in July 2002 and now has the support of more than half of the world’s nations. With Guatemala’s recent accession to the Rome Statute on 2 April 2012, 121 states have ratified or acceded to the treaty, while 139 are signatories. The ICC has thus become an important mechanism in ensuring that the most serious violations of human rights no longer go unpunished. However, for the justice system to have global reach, the Court needs the support of all countries. Moreover, increased ratifications of the Statute will result in more robust and meaningful representation in the international struggle to end impunity.

Only one country in Central Asia – Tajikistan – is a state party. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have signed the Rome Statute but have yet to complete the process of ratification. Kazakhstan is joined by Turkmenistan in having neither signed nor acceded to the Statute.

However, in becoming a state party, Kazakhstan would demonstrate its engagement in this global endeavor and join the majority of the world’s nations in support of justice for the most serious crimes. Moreover, Kazakhstan’s accession could help encourage the region as a whole to affirm its respect for human rights, the rule of law, and international justice.

Your Excellency, in this propitious year marking the 10th anniversary of the Rome Statute coming into force, I urge Kazakhstan to accede to the Rome Statute without delay as a demonstration of its commitment to fight impunity and to fully align its legislation with all obligations under the Rome Statute, including accession to the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Court (APIC).

Sincerely,


Send your letter to:

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Ak Orda Presidential Palace
010000 Astana City
Republic of Kazakhstan
Fax: +7 (7172) 24-37-29

H.E. Karim Kazhimkanovich Massimov, Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister, Government House
010000 Astana City
Republic of Kazakhstan
Fax: +7 (7172) 74-53-65
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Adilbek R. Dzhaksybekov, Minister of Defense
Left bank, Special economic zone, building 2
010000, Astana City
Republic of Kazakhstan
Tel: +7 (7172) 72-14-10, 72-14-11, 72-14-12, 72-14-15
Fax: +7 (7172) 50-41-97

H.E. Imashev Berik Mazhitovich, Minister of Justice
The Left bank, the House of the Ministries, entrance 13
010000, Astana City
Republic of Kazakhstan
Tel: +7 (7172) 74-07-37
Fax: +7 (7172) 74-09-54
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

H.E. Yerzhan Kazkhanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Konayev Street, 31 Left Bank of Essil River
010000, Astana City
Republic of Kazakhstan
Tel: +7 (7172) 72-05-18/17/13
Fax +7 (7172) 72-05-16
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Byrganym S. Aitimova, Permanent Representative to the United Nations
305 East 47th Street, 3d Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: +1 (212) 230-1900, 230-1192
Fax: +1 (212) 230-1172
E-mail: [email protected]

H.E. Ambassador Erik M. Utembayev, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Brussels
Avenue Van Bever, 30
B-1180 Bruxelles, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 374-95-62,
Fax +32 2 374-50-91;
E-mail: [email protected]

H.E. Ambassador Mainura S. Myrzamadieva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Nieuwe Parklaan 69,
2597 LB, The Hague, The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 363-47-57,
Fax +31 70 365-76-00, 427-22-20
E-mail: [email protected]

H.E. Mr. Mukhtar B. Tleuberdi, Permanent Representative to the United Nations' Office in Geneva
Chemin du Prunier 10, 1218 Grand-Saconnex
Genève, Suisse
Tel +4122 788-66-00,
Fax +4122 788-66-02
E-mail: [email protected]

H.E. Kairat K. Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Wipplingerstrasse 35, Floor 3
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel +431 890-80-08-10; +431 890-80-08-38
Fax +431 890-80-08-20;
E-mail: [email protected]

H.E. Ural Mukhamedzhanov, Chair of Mazilis (lower house)
House of Mazhilis of the Parliament
010000 Astana
Republic of Kazakhstan
Reception room of the Committee on legislation and judicial-legal reform:
Tel: +8(7172) 74-29-37
Sector of the letters and reception for the people:
Tel: +8(7172) 74-61-60, 8(7172) 74-64-59, 8(7172) 74-64-41
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

H.E. Kayrat Mami, Chair of the Senate
Senate of Parliament
010000 Astana
Republic of Kazakhstan
Tel : +7 (7172) 74-72-49, +7 (7172) 74-72-57
Fax: +7 (7172) 24-26-19, +7 (7172) 24-35-48
Email: [email protected]
NGO Letters, Papers, Reports, and Statements
Author Title Date
CICC
 19563|19564
Letter to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas for the ratification of the Rome Statute
 03 Apr 2012
CICC
 19565|19566
Letter to the Prime Minister of Jamaica for the ratification of the Rome Statute
 03 Apr 2012
CICC
 19567|19568
Letter to the President of Kazakhstan for the ratification of the Rome Statute
 03 Apr 2012
NGO Media Statements
Author Date and Title
CICC
03 Apr 2012
Coalition Calls on The Bahamas and Jamaica to Ratify the Rome Statute
17294|17295English
17294|17295Spanish
CICC
03 Apr 2012
Coalition Calls on Kazakhstan to Join the ICC
17296|17297English
17296|17297Spanish