Parliament ratifies Statute on International Criminal Court

Accra (Greater Accra) 11 Nov. '99

Parliament on Thursday ratified the statute on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The statute seeks to establish an international criminal court, which would be permanent to investigate and bring to justice, individuals who commit serious violations of international humanitarian law such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

A report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the statute said efforts in the past in this direction did not yield the desired results due to the absence of such a court .

The report noted that in spite of the initial efforts, perpetrators of the most egregious crimes against humanity have rarely been brought to justice.

It said ad-hoc war crimes tribunals and truth commissions like the recent ones in Rwanda, Bosnia and South Africa had presented important opportunities for justice and reconciliation at the national and regional levels only.

There is the need for a more systematic approach through the establishment of a permanent international criminal court.

The report said that in July 1998, at a United Nations conference in Rome, Italy, member states overwhelmingly approved a statute to establish a permanent international criminal court.

The Committee urged the House to ratify the statute to help pave the way for the establishment of the international criminal court.

It recommended that Ghana should play a leading role in advocating the ratification of the statute by other African countries, especially those in West Africa.

Earlier, two loan agreements, a report on the Immigration Bill and three legislative instruments were laid before the House.

One of the loan agreements is for five million dollars from the International Development Association of the World Bank to support the community-based poverty reduction projects.

The other is for 20.25 million dollars from the African Development Fund to the Agricultural Development Bank to provide a credit line for farmers, fishermen and agro-processors.

The legislative instruments were the Export and Import (Prohibition of Importation) Instrument, 1999. L.I. 1661, Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 1999. L.I. 1662 and Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 1999. L.I. 1663.

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