Support for the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the only permanent international court capable of trying individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity when no other country is willing or able to do so.  It is the "Never Again" court and represents the legacy of the Nuremberg Trials; its definition of genocide comes directly from the Genocide Convention.  Now terrible dictators and mass murderers will not be able to slip through the cracks of justice.

The ICC can play several important roles in helping to prevent, end and punish genocide.  By ensuring that those most responsible for future genocides are brought to justice, the ICC will end impunity for genocide: no longer will leaders be able to count on a "get out of jail free" card for their crimes.  This threat of accountability can help deter others from planning and carrying out genocides.  In addition, the ICC can begin investigating crimes as soon as there is an emerging pattern of acts of genocide - it does not have to wait until genocide is in full swing, when intervention will be too late.  By launching investigations during the early stages of a genocide, the ICC could help pressure the instigators to end their attacks by raising the specter of judicial accountability and punishment.

The ICC's statute took effect July 1, 2002, and more than 90 countries are already full members of the Court.  The current U.S. administration, however, is strongly opposed to the ICC and has actively worked to undermine it.  This opposition is a reversal of a half-century of American legacy and values in support of international justice.  U.S. support for the Court would help the ICC investigate crimes (by the sharing of intelligence) and arrest those accused of genocide (through the U.S.'s broad military presence around the world).  U.S. opposition to the ICC has also prevented the United Nations from cooperating fully and efficiently with the ICC, as the U.S. uses its Security Council veto to limit UN interaction with the ICC.

U.S. and global support for the ICC is vital for this important new institution to be able to carry out its mandate fully and effectively.  Never again should the perpetrators of genocide be allowed to escape justice.