URC - El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua

Greater support for the International Criminal Court in the Central American region is needed in order to consolidate the Americas as a region fully committed in the fight against impunity. Out of 19 Latin American States, only 4 States have not ratified the Rome Statute, and in the Caribbean, more than half of all CARICOM Member States have already become States Parties to the Court. El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala�s willingness to join its neighbors Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama in support of the ICC would be an important step in the effort to achieve more active Central American participation on this issue. Increased accessions to the Rome Statute from Central America will translate into a stronger voice for the region at the ICC and in making the Court a truly effective international mechanism for justice and peace.

The Rome Statute came into force in July 2002 and now has the support of more than half of the world�s nations. 108 states from across the globe have acceded to or ratified the treaty and 139 are signatories.

Take Action Now!
Write a letter to the President, Minister of Foreign Affairs or President of the National Assembly in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua to encourage them to accede to the Statute!!

You might like to use the following letter as a guide.

Please be sure to cc all contacts below when sending your letters

Send your letter to:

El Salvador

President of El Salvador
H. E. Mr. Antonio Saca
F +503 2243 9947

Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador
H.E. Mrs. Marisol Argueta de Barillas
T + 503 2231 1000 F + 503 2243-9658

President of the Parliament of El Salvador
H.E. Mr. R�ben Orellana
F +503 2281 9620

Guatemala

President of Guatemala
H. E. Mr. �lvaro Colom Caballeros
F +502 2221 4423

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala
H. E. Mr. Haroldo Rodas
T +502 2232 1212, +502 2410-0000 F + 502 2332 1172

President of Parliament of Guatemala
H.E. Mr. Arturo Eduardo Meyer Maldonado
F +502 2220 4028

Nicaragua

President of Nicaragua
H.E. Mr. Daniel Ortega Saavedra
F +505 266 3102

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua
H.E. Mr. Samuel Santos L�pez
T +505 244-8015, +505 244-8016 F +505 228-5103
[email protected]

President of the Assembly of Nicaragua
H.E. Mr. Ren� N��ez T�llez
F +1 (212) 286-0815 (Permanent Mission of Nicaragua to the UN)
F +1 (212) 983 2646 (Consulate of Nicaragua in New York City)

Your Excellency:

It is a great honor to write to you in reference to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. On this occasion I would like to urge your government to adopt a strong stance of support to this historic institution which will ensure that genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes will no longer remain unpunished.

As you are aware, the ICC is complementary to national criminal jurisdictions and will only act when national courts are unwilling or unable to do so. The Court does not have retroactive jurisdiction and is only entitled to investigate acts which occurred after its entry into force on July 1st, 2002. To date, 108 countries from around the world have already joined this important mechanism.

Within the framework of the European Union- Central America association agreement negotiations, various sources have reported on the cautious stance of Central American governments with respect to the possible inclusion of an ICC clause. I respectfully urge your government to decisively support the inclusion of ICC references in the agreement, as well as to take concrete steps toward acceding to this important instrument.

In Latin America, support for the ICC has been constant. The resolutions on the Promotion of the ICC that the Organization of American States (OAS) has issued since 1999 are clear examples of the commitment to the Court from the region. Similarly, the fact that there are currently only four Latin American countries who have not yet ratified the Statute, and that in the Caribbean more than half of the countries have already joined the ICC, is also an encouraging result.

In July of this year, the world celebrated the historic tenth anniversary of the Statute�s adoption. Your government�s accession to the Statute would therefore be highly symbolic serving to demonstrate both to the international community and to your citizens, that your commitment to protect human rights and strengthen the rule of law remains steadfast.

Sincerely,

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