SG/SM/8293
L/T/4369
2 July 2002
"There Must Be No Relenting" in Fight Against Impunity, Says Secretary-General as International Criminal Court Rome Statute Comes into Force
NEW YORK, 1 July (UN Headquarters) -- Following is the statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 1 July:
The entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is an historic occasion. It reaffirms the centrality of the rule of law in international relations. It holds the promise of a world in which the perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are prosecuted when individual States are unable or unwilling to bring them to justice. And it gives the world a potential deterrent to future atrocities.
I congratulate all the States parties -- currently 75 -- on taking the lead in ratifying the Statute, and I appeal to all States that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to it as soon as possible. There must be no relenting in the fight against impunity or in our efforts to prevent genocide and the other horrendous crimes that fall under the Court's jurisdiction.
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