Success! U.S. Participation in ASP comes after months of AMICC's Obama/ICC advocacy campaign

Today's announcement by U.S. ambassador-at-large to war crimes Stephen Rapp is a major victory for the U.S. movement for the International Criminal Court. At a press conference in Nairobi Rapp told journalists that he would lead the delegation to the ICC's annual meeting of the Assembly of States Parties. The U.S will participate as an observer.

Two weeks ago, AMICC issued an Action Alert to asking our supporters to tell Obama to make sure the U.S. was present at the ASP meeting, and more than a thousand of our members and supporters took action. Today's announcement is a directly result of the pressure from the American public on the administration, and evidence of the power of advocacy. AMICC welcomes this decision as a positive step forward in U.S./ICC relations.

As a reminder, AMICC's Convener John Washburn and Deputy Convener Matthew Heaphy will be at the ASP meeting, so follow us here or on AMICC's website.

From AP:

William R. Pace, an official of a global network of organizations that tracks the work of the court, said his group welcomed the change in the U.S. position.

"With virtually all the international tribunals in closing-down mode; in a few years the ICC will be the only game in town," said Pace, the convener of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court. "It is thus very important that the Obama Administration returns to participate in the development of the court and the new system of international criminal justice." Read the whole article here.