The International Criminal Court Icc

International Criminal Courts

The International Criminal Court (ICC)

The International Criminal Court, or the ICC, is an intergovernmental organization and permanent international court that has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

Purpose

The ICC's purpose is to complement the national justice systems of its member states. It has jurisdiction over crimes that are considered to be of the utmost concern to the international community as a whole, and as defined in the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the court. These crimes are those that are grave in nature, such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.

History

The ICC was established by the Rome Statute and became operational in 2002. The court has its seat in The Hague, Netherlands.

Other International Criminal Courts

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, or the ICTY, was established by the United Nations Security Council in 1993. The ICTY's purpose was to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity committed during the Yugoslav Wars.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, or the ICTR, was established by the United Nations Security Council in 1994. The ICTR's purpose was to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity committed during the Rwandan Genocide.

Conclusion

International criminal courts play a vital role in promoting international justice and accountability, particularly in situations where national justice systems are unable or unwilling to prosecute individuals for international crimes. The work of the ICC, the ICTY, the ICTR, and other international criminal courts has helped to establish a norm of accountability for perpetrators of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression.