US Democratic Allies Strongly Support the ICC

More than 90 countries around the world are full members of the ICC, accepting its jurisdiction and supporting its work. This includes almost every major U.S. ally, including all members of the European Union. For countries like Canada and New Zealand, the ICC is a means to help other countries improve their legal systems and ensure that justice is served for the worst crimes known to humanity, no matter where they occur. For countries like Afghanistan and Bosnia, the ICC is another tool for building the rule of law and protecting their new democracies against future atrocities. For countries like Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICC has immediate practical import as another avenue for pursuing justice for ongoing crimes. The ICC has gone from an idea to a reality within a decade, and more countries around the world continue to join the ICC.

European Union: All 15 current EU members are States Parties.
"The establishment of the International Criminal Court, for the purpose of preventing and curbing the commission of the serious crimes falling within its jurisdiction, is an essential means for promoting respect for international humanitarian law and human rights, thus contributing to freedom, security, justice, and the rule of law as well as contributing to the preservation of peace and the strengthening of international security, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations."
-- from the Council of the European Union Common Position on the ICC, June 2001.

Canada: Ratified July 2000, 14th State Party.
"The International Criminal Court is a central element of Canada's human security agenda. Canada played an important role in the development of the Court and the adoption of the Rome Statute, and will continue to be involved as the focus shifts from ratification of the Statute to its entry into force. This is truly a historical moment for international justice."
-- Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, from Canada's ICC website.

United Kingdom: Ratified October 2001, 42nd State Party
"We work for international order because we believe in human rights and because it is in Britain’s national interest to do so. A more stable, democratic world is safer to live, travel and trade in.

"Establishing an International Criminal Court will be a major contribution towards deterring crimes against humanity. At present, there is no permanent international body to which the Pol Pots and Milosevics of this world would be answerable. International tribunals such as those for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, although valuable, are limited to one area. We wish to move away from an ad-hoc system to permanent deterrence. The International Criminal Court will always be there to call the world’s tyrants to account.

"The International Criminal Court Bill will enable us to achieve our target of becoming a founding member of the Court and send a clear message to the world’s tyrants that Britain wants them to face international justice. We took the lead in the negotiations to agree the Treaty on the International Criminal Court. We are now taking the lead in ratifying it."
-- former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, upon introduction of the ratification bill to Parliament, 15 December 2000.

New Zealand: Ratified September 2000, 17th State Party
"New Zealand will therefore continue to work with others to ensure that the ICC is given the opportunity to prove itself. We are doing this in the memory of the millions who have died in conflicts in recent decades; children, women, and men. We are doing it for future generations; to bring to an end the culture of impunity, to ensure that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community do not go unpunished, and in the words of the preamble “to guarantee lasting respect for and enforcement of international justice”."
-- Permanent Representative to the UN Don MacKay, UN General Assembly, 14 October 2002.

Australia: Ratified July 2002, 75th State Party
"The creation of the ICC is a significant achievement for the international legal community. The lack of a permanent international forum to try persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern was a serious flaw in the international legal system. Australia is confident the Court will ensure that persons who have committed genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are punished, and will deter others from committing such egregious crimes."
-- Statement of the Australian representative Richard Rowe, UN General Assembly, 15 October 2002

Japan: In the process of ratification and accession
"It is necessary for us to contemplate what has in fact finally motivated the international community, after all these years to make the Court a reality. I would suggest that it was the voices of all the victims, the families who had lost loved ones, as well as those who had lost their homes. Our conscience would no longer let us turn away from such repeated tragedies, and so, summoning the necessary political will, we resolved to tackle this difficult challenge."
-- Statement by Mr. Shuichi Akamatsu, Representative of Japan, UN General Assembly, 14 October 2002

"It goes without saying that what we all strive for is the peace and stability in international society where there exists no war, hunger and suffering of people. Despite all the aspiration among the people and the wisdom of leaders and intellectuals to realize such world, we have yet to achieve this goal. What is so deplorable is that we are still witnessing the recurrence of violence, grief and tears among our friends and neighbors around the world. This is the reality that called for the creation of the ICC....

It is our dearest hope that through the basic principle of complementarity, there will be a rule of law spread out in the international community. The ICC will serve as the catalyst for each nation to fully implement its obligations under international law, and suppress any attempt, or even intention for anyone to dare to commit such grave violation of human rights. With its comprehensive coverage of the most serious crimes and thorough cooperation the Court can enjoy from the States Parties, the ICC will ensure that there will be no place on earth where perpetrators may escape. Thus, we can truly root out the cause that tolerates the culture of impunity. In order to achieve such objectives, it is imperative that the ICC wins the widest possible support among the members of the international community."
-- Statement by Ms. Naoko Saiki, Head of the Delegation of Japan, ICC Preparatory Commission, 1 July 2002.

Other U.S. Allies:
France: Ratified June 2000, 12th State Party
Argentina: Ratified February 2001, 28th State Party
South Korea: Ratified November 2002, 83rd State Party
Russia: Signed September 2000, in the process of ratification
Jordan: Ratified April 2002, 60th State Party

U.S. Allies Speak Out Against U.S. Anti-ICC Policies:
The Bush administration is demanding that no country surrender any U.S. citizen, and even some non-citizens, to the ICC. Many U.S. allies have taken a strong position against this demand.
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For further information about government positions, including official statements, see www.iccnow.org.