URC - Singapore

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

SINGAPORE

As the world celebrates the tenth anniversary of the International Criminal Court, the Coalition calls on the government of Singapore to join fellow ASEAN states Cambodia, The Philippines and Timor-Leste, as well as 17 other states in Asia and the Pacific, in ICC membership.

Civil society is joining together to urge Singapore to accede to the Rome Statute. Its active participation during the Preparatory Commission, as well as its current leadership position within ASEAN will hopefully lead Singapore to join the Rome Statute system in the near future, thus become a global actor in the fight against impunity.

Take Action Now!

Urge Singapore 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.

Write a letter to H.E. Mr. LEE Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, to encourage his government to accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Sample letter

Your Excellency,

I am writing to respectfully call on your government to ensure Singapore�s prompt accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC. The ICC has become a major pillar of international justice, aiming to ensure that the most serious international crimes do not go unpunished. 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 continued support of the international community is today more crucial than ever.

Singapore is a key actor in international relations. Its leadership role in Asia and, in particular, within the ASEAN states, place it a key position to positively contribute to the global fight against impunity and the strengthening of the rule of law. Important signs of Singapore�s commitment to the system established by the Rome Statute- the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court- were given when your country participated very actively in the process leading to the establishment of the Court and thereafter at the Preparatory Commission and Assembly of States Parties sessions in New York and The Hague. Your government�s key role in the formation of the Friends of the ICC paved the way for active involvement of Asian and Pacific nations in the future and actual work of the ICC. To date, 139 have signed and 121 states - almost two-thirds of the world�s countries - have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute.

While the Asia-Pacific region remains underrepresented in the Court, it must be noted The Philippines, Maldives and Vanuatu have all ratified in the last two years. In addition, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tuvalu and Tonga continue to move forward in their respective ratification processes. Singapore�s accession would not only increase ASEAN�s voice at the ICC but can also encourage other Asia-Pacific states and other countries that have yet to ratify the Statute to join the ICC.

A number of states are currently reviewing their domestic legislations in order to ensure full compatibility with the Rome Statute. While several state parties have had to face legal and technical challenges, these have been successfully surpassed via interpretative methods, amendments or through specific provisions in the Rome Statute that are meant to assist states in overcoming apparent compatibility issues. I encourage your government to carefully assess comparative experiences and overcome some of these obstacles toward accession.

Your Excellency, in this tenth anniversary of the ICC, I respectfully call on your government to consider Indonesia�s accession to the Rome Statute at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Send your letter to:

H.E. Mr. Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister
Prime Minister�s Office
Istana, Orchard Road
Singapore, 238823
Telephone: (65) 63327200
Fax: (65) 63328983
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Mr. K Shanmugam
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Law
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tanglin
Singapore, 248163
Telephone: (65) 63798000
Fax: (65) 64747885
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Dr. Ng Eng Hen
Minister of Defence
Ministry of Defence
303 Gombak Drive off Upper Bukit Timah Road
MINDEF Building
Singapore, 669645
Telephone: (65) 67682121
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Steven Chong Horng Siong, S.C.
Attorney General
The Attorney General�s Chambers
1 Coleman Street, # 10-00
Singapore, 179803
Telephone: (65) 63361411
Fax: (65) 63325984
Email: [email protected]

H.E. Amb. Albert Chua
Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations
231 East 51st Street
New York, NY, 10022
Telephone: (+1) 212-826-0840
Fax: (+1) 212-826-2964
Email: [email protected]

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