ICC Update: Security Council Meets Wednesday

An update on US efforts to secure immunity for peacekeepers from the newly-formed International Criminal Court (ICC):

The United Kingdom, in its role as President of the Security Council, has announced that it will hold an open session of the Security Council this Wednesday, July 10th, to hear statements on the recent US proposal to grant UN peacekeepers with immunity from the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Likely to be highly politically charged, this meeting will have significant influence on the outcome of the negotiations of the current UN mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNMIBH), which will expire on Monday, July 15th if a compromise is not reached by that time.

The US proposal is widely viewed as contrary not only to the Rome Statute, but also to the UN Charter and to international law itself. Statements in unanimous rejection of the US proposal were made on behalf of over 100 countries during a special plenary of the ICC held at UN headquarters on July 3rd. The isolationist stance of the US was further highlighted by a letter from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, in which the Secretary-General urged for reconsideration of the US position. (Excerpts of country statements and the full text of the Secretary-General's letter can be found at http://www.iccnow.org/.)

Wednesday's Security Council meeting will be open and properly accredited members of the press will be able to attend. Further information will follow once available.

Best regards,

Adele Waugaman, Media Liaison

Coalition for the International Criminal Court

777 UN Plaza, 3rd Floor, New York NY 10017 USA T:+ 212.687.2176 F:+ 212.599.1332 E: ciccmedia@iccnow.org

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