| Crime of Aggression |  | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Crime of Aggression | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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06Feb15
Malta and Costa Rica ratify Amendments to the Rome Statute on war crimes and the crime of aggression
The President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, H.E. Mr. Sidiki Kaba, welcomes the deposit by the Republic of Malta, on 30 January 2015, and by Costa Rica, on 5 February 2015, of their instruments of ratification of the amendments to the Statute on war crimes and the crime of aggression adopted at the first Review Conference held in Kampala, Uganda.
The said instruments were presented by H.E. Mr Christopher Grima, Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations and by H.E. Ms. Ana Helen Chacón, Vice-President of the Republic of Costa Rica.
The deposit of these instruments bring to twenty-three the number of ratifications of the amendments on war crimes, and to twenty-two the one for the crime of aggression.
"The Republic of Malta and Costa Rica thus confirm their commitment to work towards a World of peace and justice. I salute their commendable action and invite all States Parties that have not yet ratified the Kampala amendments to follow suit", declared Minister Sidiki Kaba.
The first Review Conference of the Rome Statute, held in 2010 in Kampala, adopted a set of amendments to article 8, and defined as war crimes the use of certain weapons during armed conflicts not of an international character. It also adopted a second set of amendments relating to the definition of the crime of aggression and the provisions for the exercise of Court's jurisdiction.
The Court may exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, after 1 January 2017, once thirty States Parties have ratified the amendments, and subject to a decision to activate by the Assembly.
Malta ratified the Rome Statute on 29 November 2002 and incorporated in its national legislation provisions related to the crimes relevant to the Statute and cooperation in December 2003. It ratified the Agreement provisions on the on Privileges and Immunities of the Court ("APIC"), on 21 September 2011.
Costa Rica ratified the Rome Statute on 7 June 2001 and transposed into its criminal code crimes enounced in the said Statute in May 2003. It ratified the APIC on 28 April 2011.
[Source: ICC-ASP-20150206-PR1087, Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, New York, 06Feb15]
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