International Criminal Court

Description

The International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organization and permanent international tribunal, seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It was established in 2002 under the Rome Statute, a multilateral treaty. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

It acts as a court of last resort and aims to complement, not replace, national courts. It can exercise jurisdiction only when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute. Its jurisdiction covers crimes by nationals of member states, crimes on the territory of a member state, or situations referred to it by the UN Security Council.

The Court is governed by the Assembly of States Parties, made up of representatives of the states that have ratified the Rome Statute. The Assembly oversees the Court, elects its judges and prosecutor, and approves its budget. The Court itself has four organs: the Presidency, the Judicial Divisions, the Office of the Prosecutor and the Registry.

The Office of the Prosecutor investigates and, where warranted, prosecutes individuals for the gravest crimes of international concern. The Trust Fund for Victims supports reparative justice under the Rome Statute, helping to redress harm suffered by victims and their families. The Court employs staff from around the world and conducts its proceedings in English and French.