International Criminal Court's First Years: Stumbling Toward Justice.

摘要

This paper examines the first nine years of the operation and function of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its establishment by the Rome Statute (RS) in 2002, particularly its first trial. The ICC s mission is to provide a permanent international judicial forum in which perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression could be adjudicated. It took 6 years for the ICC to complete the evidence phase and reach a verdict in its first trial. During that case, the credibility and relevance of the court was sorely tested. The current U.S. policy of engagement with the ICC and Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the RS provides the best opportunity for continued development and future success of the ICC, even if the U.S. does not ratify the Rome Statute.