Justice Richard Goldstone on the US and the ICC

US passes bill to combat LRA

Congress passed a historic bill yesterday committed to leading the international efforts to end the LRA's reign of terror over Uganda and surrounding areas. The legislation calls for the development of a strategy to fight the LRA by disarming and disbanding the militia, as well as apprehending those responsible. Top officials of the LRA, such as Joseph Kony, are wanted by the ICC, so this recent legislation can be seen as a sign of the US' increasing alignment with the goals of the Court. Whether this American call to action will result in the arrest of wanted individuals by the ICC remains to be seen, but this is a promising step towards cooperation between the US and the ICC. To read more about this story click here.

[In the News] Ocampo's Kenya visit comes to an end

ICC Prosecutor Ocampo ends his investigatory visit into Kenya's 2007-2008 post-election violence with a meeting with the current President, Mwai Kibaki. During his five days Ocampo spent time with many victims, particularly in the slums and countryside where the violence was concentrated. He has stated that he will pursue the worst perpetrators on both sides of the violent conflict, up to a total of six individuals, and hopes to present his cases against them to the Court late this year. This process will be aided by Kenya's vow to protect the victims and witnesses of the violence during a meeting Ocampo held with the Cabinet. To find out more about the ICC's decision to investigate the Kenya situation, check out our summary here.

[In the News] Critics argue that the ICC is anti-American

Last week we hosted a live-tweet commenting on the Heritage Foundation's ICC panel lecture, whose opinions against the ICC were strong (click here to follow us on Twitter). The Washington Times also tuned in and wrote an article entitled "ICC anti-Americanism is here to stay" outlining the anti-ICC arguments put forward by the panelists. You can find the full article here. Do you find their arguments convincing? Check out this article on our website that addresses arguments like those made by the Heritage Foundation, and attempts to refute them.

[In the News] Ocampo set to visit Kenya to hear victims' stories

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo will be touching down in Kenya this Saturday for a five day visit. He expects to spend his time touring the scenes of the crimes committed during the 2008 post-election violence, and hearing the stories of its victims. It is hoped that this visit will allow him to gather evidence which may be used by the court to prosecute the individuals responsible, in order to prevent similar tragedies in the future. To read more about this story click here.

Two new reports on U.S. participation at Kampala: CFR and UCLA

Council on Foreign Relations

This Council Special Report, authored by Vijay Padmanabhan, examines how the United States should advance its interests at the ICC’s 2010 review conference, scheduled for May and June in Kampala, Uganda. After outlining the history of U.S. policy toward the court, the report analyzes the principal items on the review conference agenda, most notably the debate over the crime of aggression. The conference faces the task of deciding whether to adopt a definition of aggression and, should it do so, whether and how to activate the court’s jurisdiction over this crime. Padmanabhan explains the important questions this debate raises.

ICC Report from the International Justice Clinic

The International Justice Clinic at UCLA School of Law is pleased to announce the release of The Road to Kampala: U.S. Participation in the Review Conference of the International Criminal Court. The Road to Kampala outlines key issues at stake in the upcoming ICC conference, the most significant diplomatic conference on international justice since the conclusion of the Rome Statute in 1998. The report makes substantive recommendations for the Obama Administration's participation in a conference that will touch on major issues, such as the crime of aggression, the Court's ability to enforce arrest warrants, State cooperation with the Court, and the interplay of national legal system with the Court's jurisdiction. 

Colombia and the ICC- new mini-documentary from Skylight Pictures

[In the News] The bumpy road to Kampala continues...

Dear Colleagues: We’d Like to Share Some Lies with You About the ICC

"In the words of the immortal Chris Rock, these people [...] are just ign’ant." Heller

You may have heard about the anti-ICC letter circulating in Congress. It is an "e-Dear Colleague" letter, and the right-wing authors oppose even the participation of the U.S. as an observer in the upcoming Review Conference. UN Dispatch's Mark Leon Goldberg has some background here, but you really ought to read Kevin Jon Heller's response on Opinio Juris, entitled "Dear Colleagues: We'd Like to Share Some Lies with You About the ICC."