Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

The Review Conference also considered amendments to the original Rome Statute,
which has not been revised since it was first agreed in 1998. States Parties
considered including a definition of the crime of aggression and establishing the
conditions under which the Court could exercise its jurisdiction over this crime; and
including the use of certain weapons in a non-international armed conflict as a war
crime, in particular bullets that flatten on impact and toxic gases. We will now
consider whether to ratify the amendments agreed at the Review Conference.
Throughout 2010, the UK participated actively in working groups in New York and
The Hague to support and develop management and oversight of the Court to
ensure that it continues to mature as an efficient and effective institution. We led
negotiations at the International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties in
December to agree a new independent oversight mechanism, as part of a robust and
transparent management system.
The year 2011 is likely to see the first judgment from the Court, with two other
ongoing trials continuing and the possibility of three other trials starting. Further trial
and pre-trial activity is likely to take place on the Court’s new investigation in Libya,
which was opened on 3 March 2011 following a unanimous decision of the UN
Security Council to refer the Libya situation to the ICC. We will work closely with key
partners to ensure that the Court continues to receive international support and
cooperation and to combat attempts to undermine it.
International criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda
In 2010, the UK played a leading role in the UN Security Council tribunals working
group for the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
In December, after three years of discussions, the UN Security Council adopted a
resolution to safeguard the legacy of the tribunals, once they have completed their
trials and appeals, including by ensuring that any remaining fugitives are not allowed
to escape justice; that witnesses remain protected, and that appropriate
arrangements are made for the management of the tribunals’ archives.
23