The International Coalition for the International Criminal Court directed a letter to the Egyptian president calling him upon accession and ratification of the ICC

Cairo, 14^th May 2013

 

The International Coalition for the International Criminal Court directed a letter to the Egyptian president calling him upon accession and ratification of the ICC

The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) send a letter to Egyptian President Dr. Mohamed Morsi calling him for the ratification and accession to the ICC, especially because  Egypt signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on 26 December  2000.

The letter pointed out the importance of Egypt's ratification of the ICC, in particular that there are a number of countries in transitional stage that have found that ratifying the Rome Statute is an important step to take to show that the new regime is turning a new leaf. The willingness of the government to stand on the side of justice and the rule of law brings can bring legitimacy and hope to a population calling for change.

The letter also mentioned the statement of Mr. Nasser Amin, lawyer and director-general of the ACIJLP stating that: “Following the 25th January revolution, Egypt urgently needs to ratify the Rome Statute; ratification will prevent future crimes against humanity such as occurred under the previous regime, and will greatly contribute to ending impunity for security authorities by guaranteeing a fair and independent judicial process.”

The CICC expressed in its letter to the Egyptian president its belief in "ratifying the Rome Statute and undergoing a review of internal legislation to bring it in line with Rome Statute standards, Egypt’s justice system would be modernized and strengthened in important ways.

The CICC also refers to the fact that "By joining the ICC, Egypt can also have an important influence on other countries in the region to ensure universal acceptance of the Court, to gain a stronger voice within the world of global justice, and to participate in making the ICC a truly effective, international mechanism for justice and peace.

The letter noted that " During the 1st cycle of the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) from 2008-2011, Egypt accepted the recommendations (made by Brazil and Chile) to consider ratifying the Rome Statute.

The letter refers to the statements of the former International Court of Justice Judge Nabil El Arabi issued on 6 March 2011 and then Foreign Minister of Egypt expressed in a public official statement that "ICC ratification is a priority".

The letter also pointed out that "the rationale for accession to the ICC strongly aligns with the new direction the Egyptian administration pledged to take in 2012.

The letter refers to the announcements of His Excellency Minister of Justice, Ahmed Mekki on February 2013 in which he refers to plans to consider the ratification of the Rome Statute as part of the work of the International Humanitarian Law Commission. The Coalition welcomes the Justice Minister’s statement and hopes his statement will be followed by concrete strides toward ratification.

The CICC takes this opportunity to reaffirm its support for the regional human rights NGOs and civil society representatives, including the Egyptian and Arab Coalitions for the ICC undertaking campaigns to raise awareness on the ICC in Egypt and the region. The CICC also expressed its hope to see Egypt among the ICC states parties in the near future.

It is worth mentioning that the CICC is a global network of more than 2,500 non-governmental and civil society organizations in 150 countries, campaigning for a fair, effective, and independent ICC and increased access to justice for victims of crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes. As the convener of global civil society organizations engaged in justice issues, the Coalition is committed to advancing justice efforts in the Middle East and North Africa region during this vital window of time.