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URC - Cape Verde
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) is calling on Cape Verde to take the necessary steps to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the ICC (APIC). Increased ratifications of the Statute in the region will further strengthen the African voice at the Court, particularly Lusophone states, and result in a more robust and meaningful participation in the global struggle to establish a truly fair, effective and independent ICC.

Cape Verde has taken positive steps to integrate policies and regulations in support of human rights and international humanitarian law into its legal system. In particular, Cape Verde’s adoption of Constitutional Law No. 1/VII/2010, which includes two constitutional provisions that pave the way for Cape Verde to accept the jurisdiction of the ICC, illustrates recent efforts to reaffirm Cape Verde’s commitment to the rule of law.

To date, 31 states in Africa are parties to the Rome Statute. African states played an instrumental role in the establishment of the ICC and their constant efforts will continue to be critical to ensure the ICC will remain a fair and effective Court. The Coalition therefore appeals to Cape Verde to ratify the Rome Statute and the APIC to fully support this first permanent, independent court capable of investigating and bringing to justice perpetrators of the most serious violations of international law, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.


Take Action Now!

Write a letter to the President of Cape Verde to encourage him to ratify the Rome Statute and the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the ICC.

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:


H.E. Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires
President
Palácio da Presidência da República
Plateau
Cidade da Praia
Cabo Verde
C.P. 100
Tel: +238 261 6555 / +238 261 2829
Fax: +238 261 4356 / +238 261 6945

H.E. José Maria Neves
Prime Minister
Gabinete do Primeiro Ministro – Palacio do Governo - Várzea
Cidade da Praia
Ilha de Santiago
Cabo Verde
Phone: + 238 261 0411 / +238 610 513
Fax: +238 613 099


H.E. José Brito
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Communities
Ministerio dos Negocios Estrangeiros, Cooperação e Communidades
Palacios das Communidades
Achada Sto Antonio – Praia PO Box 60
Cabo Verde
C.P. 60
Tel: +238 260 7853
Fax: +238 261 9270

H.E. Marisa Helena Morais
Minister of Justice
Ministra da Justiça e da Administração Local
Rua Cidade do Funchal
Achada S. António
Praia
C.P. 205
Tel: +238 260 9900
Fax: +238 262 3261
Email : minjus@.gov.cv

H.E. Aristides Lima
President of the National Assembly
Gabinete do Presidente
Achada de Santo Antonio, PO Box 20A
Praia, Cabo Verde
C.P. 20 A
Tel: +238 260 8000 / +238 260 8031
Fax: +238 262 2898

H.E. Ambassador António Pedro Monteiro Lima
Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Representante Permanente junto das Nações Unidas
27 East 69th Street
New York, NY 10021 USA
Tel: +1 212 472 0333 / +1 212 472 0334
Fax: +1 212 794 1398
Email: [email protected]


His Excellency
Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires
President
Republic of Cape Verde

Your Excellency:

I am writing to you with due respect to call on you to use your good offices to facilitate Cape Verde’s prompt ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Rome Statute came into force on July 2002 and now has the support of well over half of the world’s nations. As of September 2010, 114 states have ratified or acceded to the treaty, and 139 are signatories. This achievement in itself is a landmark and a reflection of the global stand in favor of accountability and against impunity.

The new system of international justice created by the Rome Statute and represented by the ICC, the first permanent international court capable of bringing to justice perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, is an important tool to deter the potential commission of egregious and atrocity crimes. Cape Verde’s support for this new and vital system of international justice by ratifying the Rome Statute is therefore of the utmost importance.

Cape Verde’s efforts at consolidating its domestic laws to reflect and conform to the new order of international justice is very much welcomed, particularly its adoption of a section on crimes against humanity within its penal code on the 1 July 2004. In addition, I welcome the recent adoption of Constitutional Law No. 1/VII/2010, which entered into force on 3 May 2010 and includes two provisions that pave the way for Cape Verde to accept the jurisdiction of the ICC in an effort to further demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law. Moreover, Cape Verde’s participation at past sessions of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute illustrates its willingness to uphold international justice and put an end to impunity.

Excellency, I therefore urge Cape Verde to take concrete measures to translate Cape Verde’s willingness to fight impunity into concrete actions by ensuring its prompt ratification of the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Sincerely,


NGO Media Statements
Authorascending Date and Title
CICC
02 Nov 2010
Global Coalition Urges Cape Verde to Join International Criminal Court