Plenary
8 November 2005
Report of the International Criminal Court
Statement by Ben Playle
Second Secretary and Legal Adviser
of Australia to the United Nations
(Check against delivery)
Mr President
Australia welcomes the first report by the President of the International Criminal Court to the Plenary of the General Assembly. As a strong and committed supporter of the Court, Australia welcomes the progress that the Court has made in the past year and, indeed, since its inception.
Australia is pleased to join other States in congratulating Mexico on becoming the 100th Party to the Rome Statute, and in welcoming the Dominican Republic and Kenya as new States Parties to the Statute in the past year.
Mr President
President Kirsch has provided a compelling report on the Court’s progress in investigations and preparations for trial concerning the situations currently before it. The list is a growing one. Investigations have begun in relation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and the Sudan. The Court is also monitoring eight other situations, including in Côte d’Ivoire and the Central African Republic.
The Court is to be commended for its investigative work, which we recognise presents unique challenges. Australia welcomes the issuance of five indictments for individuals suspected of involvement in serious crimes in Northern Uganda, and looks forward to action on those indictments in the near future.
Mr President
It is appropriate to take this opportunity to recognise the Security Council’s decision, through adoption of Resolution 1593 on 31 March 2005, to refer the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court for investigation. This is a significant decision which acknowledges the Court as an important tool in addressing impunity for the most serious international crimes, and recognises the role that the Court can potentially play as part of broader strategies to address issues of peace and security.
The referral of the situation in Darfur also demonstrates close cooperation between the United Nations and the Court. Australia welcomes this cooperation, and expresses the hope and expectation that it will continue.
Thank you, Mr President.