URC - Nepal and Rwanda

The Coalition for the International Criminal Court calls on Nepal and Rwanda to join the Rome Statute of the ICC as soon as possible.

NEPAL

As the world celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Court, the Coalition calls on the government of Nepal to maximize the opportunities provided in the current transitional period and finalize the process carried out since 2006 to accede to the Rome Statute.

By joining the Court, the government of Nepal will pave the way for the establishment of a culture of justice and confidence building amongst the Nepalese people. In addition, Nepal�s accession to the Rome Statute will increase the representation of the Asian region before the ICC.

RWANDA

The Coalition calls on the government of Rwanda to take advantage of the current democratic momentum in Rwanda to accelerate its efforts to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including in the short term, the ratification enactment of the bill implementing the Rome Statute.

Rwanda�s accession to the Rome Statute would strengthen the African voice at the Court and contribute to a robust and meaningful participation intended to ensure that the ICC upholds and abides by the spirit of the Rome Statute.

The Coalition therefore appeals to Nepal and Rwanda 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 Nepal and Rwanda to join the Rome Statute as soon as possible!

You might like to use the following letters for each country 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 NEPAL

Write a letter to H.E. Mr. Baburam Bhattarai, Prime Minister of Nepal, 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 Nepal�s accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC as soon as possible. 2012 marks the tenth anniversary of the Court, truly a celebration of a landmark institution which, despite various obstacles and challenges, is one of the most important achievements in international law together with the establishment of the United Nations. With 121 State Parties, following the most recent accession by Guatemala in April 2012, and the Court�s seven open investigations in the Central African Republic, Cote d�Ivoire, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Libya, and Uganda, the support of the international community is today more crucial than ever. The ICC has become a major pillar of international justice, aiming to ensure that the most serious international crimes do not go unpunished.

Nepalese society is currently undergoing an important debate on transitional justice. Addressing past human rights violations and consolidating peace processes remain a challenge in many countries. Notwithstanding, international and transitional justice mechanisms can work hand in hand to construct a culture of justice and rule of law that aims to address gross human rights violations. Nepal has provided important signals of its commitment to international justice and the fight against impunity. In addition to having ratified a number of human rights treaties, as well as the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the House of Representatives adopted a proposal to accede to the Rome Statute. However, while accession to the Rome Statute has been an agenda item since February 2009, Nepal has yet to take solid steps toward finalizing this process.

The Court�s jurisdiction is not only retroactive, but is also based on the principle of complementarity, which recognizes that national jurisdictions have the primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of the Court. This jurisdictional structure was designed to strengthen and support national judicial systems in their task of seeking justice for victims of gross human rights violations.

Your Excellency, the Asian region cannot be left behind in this system of international justice. With only 9 states in Asia having ratified the Rome Statute, the support of Nepal is important to raising the Asian continent�s representation within the Court and re-affirming the continent�s commitment to the global fight against impunity.�The accession of Nepal is critical in the Court�s efforts to end impunity, strengthen the rule of law, and promote human rights. The government of Nepal has demonstrated commitment to these goals in the past, and moving forward, the swift accession to the Rome Statute would be a key step in following through with this commitment.

I urge your Excellency to use your good offices to ensure Nepal�s accession to the Rome Statute as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Send your letter to:

H.E. Mr. Baburam Bhattarai, Prime Minister of Nepal
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
Singh Durbar
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-4211000
P.O. Box: 23312
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Mr. Narayan Kaji Shresta �Prakash�, Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Secretary: Durga Prasad Bhattarai
Address: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
Tel: 977-1-4416011, 4416012, 4416013, 4416014, 4416015
Fax: 977-1-4416016
Web: www.mofa.gov.np

Mr. Madhav Prasad Regmi
Secretary of Defense
Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Singa Durbar
Kathmandu,Nepal
Tel: 977-1-4211289
Fax: 977-1-4211294

H.E. Mr. Mukti Narayan Pradhan
Attorney General
Ramshah Path
Kathmandu, Bagmati Nepal
Tel: 977-01-4240210/ 977-01-4262548
Fax: 977-01-4262582/ 977-01-4218051
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Amb. Gyan Chandra Acharya
Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations
820 Second Avenue, Suite 17B, New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 370-3988/3989, Fax: (212) 953-2038
E-mail: [email protected]�

FOR RWANDA

Sample letter

Your Excellency,

I am writing today to respectfully urge you and the Rwandan government to accede to the Rome Statute as soon as possible. During this tenth anniversary of the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it is more important than ever to prioritize international justice and fight towards making the ICC an international tribunal that is truly fair, effective and independent.

Your participation was gladly noted at several sessions of the Assembly of State Parties of the ICC, as well as your attendance and contributions to debates and sessions during the first Review Conference of the Rome Statute, held in Kampala, Uganda from 31 May to 11 June 2010. While these signs of progress are certainly welcome, concrete steps towards accession have not yet been made. I would encourage you to take this participation further by actively speaking out about the vital importance of the rule of law and supporting action by the Rwandan government to accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

In doing so, Rwanda would send a strong message about its commitment to the pursuit of international justice to the global community. The ICC, along with the United Nations, has been tirelessly dedicated to advocating for the rule of law in matters of conflict resolution and prevention, instead of resorting to armed violence. Accession to the Rome Statute would further indicate Rwanda�s commitment to the promotion of human rights and cooperation in international processes against heinous crimes.

Your Excellency, I strongly urge you to push forward the necessary legislation for acceding and implementing the Rome Statute. Recognizing that the ICC works alongside national justice processes to complement them instead of replacing them, I support the continuance of this fight against impunity through joining the ICC. Despite various obstacles in this process, I am confident that strengthening the rule of law through the ICC is worth any challenges that may arise.

I urge Your Excellency to use your good offices to ensure Rwanda�s accession to the Rome Statute as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Send your letter to:

H.E. Paul Kagame,
President of the Republic of Rwanda
P O Box 1334 Kigali Rwanda
Tel: +250 582 452
Fax: +250 582 451

H.E. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi,
Prime Minister
P.O Box 1334 Kigali�
Republic of�Rwanda
E-mail :�[email protected]
Tel: + 250�252 586 902,
� � � �+ 250�252 584 646,
� � � �+ 250�252 585 444

H.E. Tharcisse Karugarama,
Minister of Justice
Po Box 160 Kigali - Rwanda
T�l +250 252 586398 - +250 252 586561
Fax : +250 252 586509
E-mail: [email protected]�or [email protected]
Website: www.minijust.gov.rw

H.E. Hon. Louise Mushikiwabo,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Kimihurura Avenue du lac Muhazi 5th and 6th Floors
B.P. 179 Kigali
Rwanda
Telephone: +250 599128-599129-599130
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Eug�ne-Richard Gasana,
Permanent Representative to the United Nations
124 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
Tel: +1 212 679 9010 or 1 212 679 9023
FAX: +1 212 679 9133
E-mail: [email protected]

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