Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the ICC-Statute

 

The members of the Advisory Council of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy agreed in their 9th meeting on 18 October2018 in Nuremberg on a resolution on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. In this resolution, the members of the Advisory Council express their concern about the growing worldwide disrespect for international criminal law and international human rights, the violent attacks on the integrity of international criminal justice and its institutions, as well as widespread disregard for the rule of law and human rights. The resolution recalls the promise made by the international community in Nuremberg in 1945-46 and calls on all states to end impunity for international crimes by supporting the prosecution of these crimes by international and national courts.


Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the ICC-Statute


We, the Advisory Council of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, which was established to promote sustainable peace through justice and the rule of law:

ARE FIRMLY CONVINCED that international criminal law upholds respect for human rights, helps to prevent conflicts, and facilitates reconciliation after the fighting ends. To achieve these aims and following the Nuremberg precedent, the international community has developed human rights norms, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants, and has created mechanisms to end impunity for the most serious crimes known to humankind. These mechanisms, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and on July 17, 1998 the creation of the first permanent international criminal court (the International Criminal Court), ensure accountability for the most serious violations of fundamental human rights, support global enforcement of international criminal law, and build national capacity to investigate and prosecute these violations.

ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED by the growing disrespect for international criminal law and international human rights law across the globe, and the unwillingness to fight impunity and uphold international human rights norms.

ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED by vitriolic attacks against the integrity of international criminal justice and its institutions and the widespread disregard for the rule of law and basic respect for human rights.

RECOGNIZE the promise made by the international community at Nuremberg in 1945/46 and call upon all states to end impunity for international crimes by supporting the prosecution of these crimes both through international and domestic courts.