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ICC - 10 things to know with detail

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent international tribunal established to prosecute individuals for the most serious crimes of international concern, such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
• The ICC was established by the Rome Statute in 1998 and officially began operating in 2002. It is based in The Hague, Netherlands.
• The ICC has jurisdiction over individuals, not states. This means that it can only prosecute individuals for crimes committed on the territory of states that have ratified the Rome Statute or for crimes committed by nationals of states that have ratified the Rome Statute.
• The ICC is a court of last resort, meaning that it only steps in when national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute individuals for the crimes within its jurisdiction.
• The ICC is an independent judicial institution and is not part of the United Nations system. However, it does have a cooperation agreement with the UN.
• The ICC has 123 member states as of 2021, with several major countries, including the United States, China, and Russia, not being members. However, the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed by nationals of member states, regardless of whether or not the accused state is a member.
• The Prosecutor of the ICC is responsible for conducting investigations and prosecutions of individuals accused of crimes within the ICC's jurisdiction. The current Prosecutor is Karim Khan, who took office in June 2021.
• The ICC has issued arrest warrants for several high-profile individuals, including former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo. It has also convicted individuals, such as Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, for crimes committed in their respective countries.
• The ICC has faced criticism from some quarters for being biased against African countries, as the majority of its cases have been from African states. However, the ICC has also opened investigations in other regions, such as Asia and Europe.
• The ICC plays a crucial role in holding individuals accountable for the most serious crimes under international law and in promoting justice and reconciliation in conflict-affected regions. Despite its limitations and challenges, the ICC remains an important institution in the fight against impunity for international crimes.