❗❗ +130 civil society organisations from 56 countries call on ICC States Parties to mount a collective response to halt the withdrawals from the Rome Statute and counter the new US campaign against the ICC.

In the span of two months, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Venezuela and Chad formally notified the United Nations of their withdrawal from the Rome Statute. At the same time, the United States has intensified its attacks against the ICC and the independence of justice, including through a new whole-of government campaign, additional sanctions, and diplomatic pressure to push States to withdraw from the Rome Statute, and ultimately “dismantle” the Court.

These developments threaten to weaken the international justice system at a moment when victims and survivors need effective access to justice more than ever. Withdrawals not only create safe havens for ICC fugitives, they also:

❌ increase the risk of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide being committed with impunity on the territory of withdrawing States or by their nationals,

❌ undermine cooperation with the Court, including access to victims and witnesses, and the arrest and surrender of alleged perpetrators.

We call for urgent, coordinated action: for the five withdrawing States to reverse their decisions before they take effect; for States Parties and regional organisations to denounce US attacks against the Court, prevent further withdrawals, resist political pressure and reaffirm their support for the Rome Statute system; and for the ICC to continue its work independently and without selectivity.

Concerns about fairness and selectivity in international justice must be taken seriously, but they should be addressed through dialogue and cooperation, not through unilateral withdrawals.

Victims and survivors deserve concrete progress towards accountability, truth and reparations, and must be supported in their quest for justice. The promise made to victims nearly 30 years ago in Rome, that impunity would no longer be the norm, cannot be derailed by one State, no matter how powerful.

Read the full statement and join our call to action: LINK

*EN – X/Bluesky

❗❗ +130 civil society organisations from 56 countries call on ICC States Parties to mount a collective response to halt withdrawals from the Rome Statute and counter the new US campaign against the @IntlCrimCourt.

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Full statement: https://coalitionfortheicc.org/news/rome-statute-withdrawals-and-new-us-campaign-threaten-victims-access-justice