Ambassador Rapp Affirms US Support for the International Criminal Court

In a speech on May 10 in Makati, Philippines, the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen J. Rapp affirmed US support for the ICC:

The United States strongly supports the prosecution of those who are responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Consistent with the ICC principle of complementarity, and as longstanding US policy, we support national efforts to achieve accountability. But when the most grave and serious crimes are committed and there is no will or capacity to prosecute at the national level, most of the countries in the world have decided, and the United States accepts, that this justice will be delivered in the International Criminal Court.

Ambassador Rapp also sought to clear up any misunderstandings about how the US views of other countries joining the ICC: "The United States respects the right of every country to join the ICC."

The Ambassador also answered questions from the audience and the press.