Les Etats Du Pacifique
La Coalition pour la Cour pénale internationale et ses membres appellent les îles Cook, les Etats fédéraux de Micronésie, Niue, Palau, la Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée, les îles Salomon, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu et Kiribati à prendre les mesures nécessaires pour ratifier le Statut de Rome de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI). Un plus grand nombre de ratifications dans la région permettra de lui donner une voix plus forte au sein de la Cour et rendra plus significative et pertinente sa participation dans l’effort mondial pour établir une CPI juste, efficace et indépendante.
A ce jour, les républiques de Fiji, des îles Marshall, Nauru et l’Etat indépendant de Samoa, sont déjà devenus Etats parties au Traité de la CPI, et dans la partie étendue de la région Asie/Pacifique, l’Afghanistan, l’Australie, le Cambodge, le Japon, la Nouvelle-Zélande, la Mongolie, la République de Corée, le Tadjikistan, et le Timor oriental ont fait de même. Le Bangladesh, les îles Salomon, la Thaïlande, et les Philippines ont signé le Statut, mail il leur reste toujours à achever le processus de ratification.
Un plus grand nombre d’Etas parties à la Cour, originaires du Pacifique, permettrait de renforcer l’image de la région, celle d’une région pleinement engagée à cette institution historique – la première cour permanente et indépendante, capable d’enquêter et poursuivre les responsables des violations les plus graves du droit humanitaire international, à savoir crimes de guerre, génocide et crimes contre l’humanité.
Agissez maintenant!
Ecrivez une lettre aux Ministres des Affaires étrangères des îles Cook, des Etats fédéraux de Micronésie, Niue, Palau, la Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée, les îles Salomon, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu et Kiribati afin de les encourager à ratifier le Statut de Rome de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI).
Vous pouvez vous servir de la lettre ci dessous.
Envoyez votre lettre a:
ILES COOK
S.E. L’Hon. Wilkie Rasmussen
Minister of Foreign Affairs & Immigration
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de l’Immigration)
PO Box 105 Avarua Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Fax: 682 21247
[email protected]
ETATS FEDERAUX DE MICRONESIE
S.E. L’Hon M. Leske K Lehsi
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
Department of Foreign Affairs
(Département des Affaires étrangères)
PS123, Palikir, Pohnpei State, FM 96941
Fax: 691-320-2933
NIUE
S.E. Premier Hon Mititaiagimene Young Vivian
Address: Fale Fono, Alofi, Niue Island PO Box 40
Email:
[email protected]
Fax: (683) 4206
PALAU
S.E. L’Hon. Temmy Shmull
Foreign Minister
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
Myuns Circle Road
PO Box 100
Koror, Palau 96940
Fax: 680-767-2443
Email:
[email protected]
PAPOUASIE NOUVELLE GUINEE
S.E. L’Hon. Paul Tiesten
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
Department of Foreign Affairs
(Département des Affaires étrangères)
PO Box 422 Waigani, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
F: 675-325-4886
ILES SALOMON
S.E. L’Hon. Patterson John Oti
Foreign Minister
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
F: 677-20351
TONGA
S.E. L’Hon. Sonapane Tupou
Foreign minister of Tonga
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 821 Neuku’alofa, Tonga
F: 676- 23360
TUVALU
S.E. L’Hon. Apisai Ielemia
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
(Premier Ministre et Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
Fax: 212 808 4975
VANUATU
S.E. L’Hon. Sato Kilman
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
Fax: 678 27832
KIRIBATI
S.E. L’Hon. Anote Tong
President and Foreign Minister
(Président et Ministre des Affaires étrangères)
F: 686-21902
E:
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you to encourage your government to take all necessary steps to move forward and ratify or accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Five years ago, the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), entered into force. Since then, 139 states have signed and 105 states have acceded to or ratified this treaty.
To date the Republics of Fiji, the Marshall Islands, and Nauru and the Independent State of Samoa have already become States Parties to the Treaty, and in the extended Asia/Pacific region, Afghanistan, Australia, Cambodia, Japan, New Zealand, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Tajikistan, and Timor Leste have done so as well. Bangladesh, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and the Philippines signed the Statute, but have yet to complete the process of ratification. Additional Pacific States Parties to the Court would consolidate the region as fully committed to this historic institution- the first permanent, independent court capable of investigating and bringing to justice individuals who commit the most serious violations of international humanitarian law, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
As you are aware, the ICC’s jurisdiction is not retroactive. The Court only has jurisdiction over crimes committed by nationals of states that have ratified the Rome Statute, as well as over crimes committed on the territory of states that have ratified the treaty since its entry into force on 1 July 2002. Furthermore, for states joining after this date, the Court’s jurisdiction begins, according to article 126 of the Rome Statute, the first day of the month after the 60th day following the deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification/accession. The ICC is designed to complement existing national judicial systems, but the Court can exercise its jurisdiction if national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute grave crimes. The specific criteria regulating these provisions are carefully defined in the Statute itself and the ICC’s very existence serves as a strong signal to ensure that these heinous crimes will no longer remain unpunished.
Pacific States participated during the Rome Conference negotiations and in the events leading up to the entry into force of the Statute in 2002; and several States in the region have taken a leading role in relation to issues of relevance to the Court. Pacific representation at the ICC was further strengthened by Judge Tuiroma Neroni Slade from Samoa who, in his personal capacity, served as one of the judges at the Court for a period of three years.
Although Asia and the Pacific remain as one of the most underrepresented regions at the ICC, several countries are taking important strides to move forward with ratification/accession to the Statute. Japan became the 105th State Party on July 17 of this year, and Nepal and Indonesia are in the process of preparing for their ratification within the next year. Lao PDR has also announced its intention to accede but has yet to work out the requirements to do so.
Greater commitment to the ICC from the Pacific will demonstrate the region’s determination to ensure accountability and promote human rights and international humanitarian law. At a time when the ICC is beginning its important work to end impunity and currently conducting investigations into four situations, it is crucial that the Court continue to receive support from all regions of the world.
I hope your government will take concrete actions toward ratifying or acceding to the ICC Treaty. We firmly believe that increased ratifications of the Statute in this region will help strengthen the Asia/Pacific voice at the Court and result in a more robust and meaningful participation in the global struggle to establish a truly fair, effective and independent ICC.
Sincerely,
