The focus of Day Two of the 2018 International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties meeting was the General Debate, with States Parties, observer States, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations giving statements. [photo credit: Marieke de Hoon via Twitter]

Several states stressed the importance of beginning the search soon for a new Prosecutor for the ICC. While Fatou Bensouda‘s mandate does not end until June 15, 2021, the process of identifying suitable candidates will certainly take some time. Some states indicated the need for early elections (i.e. in December 2019, rather than waiting until December 2020).

Some states made financial commitments, including Ireland and Japan, which respectively pledged 175,000 Euros and 52,000 Euros to the Trust Fund for Victims.

Unsurprisingly, the Philippines reiterated that it was withdrawing from the Rome Statute, which will take effect in March 2019. Venezuela made a negative intervention regarding the referral of the situation in that country to the ICC. Chile and Canada (as two of the referring countries) exercised their right of reply, which was followed by a defensive Venezuela, accusing Canada of human rights violations.

Bill Pace, long-time Convenor of the Coalition for an ICC, announced that he would be stepping down after 24 years. The room erupted into sustained and heartfelt applause to thank him for his tireless dedication to the cause of international criminal justice. [photo credit: CICC]

The day finished before all of the NGO speakers on the list could make their interventions. The General Debate will hopefully continue at a later date during the Assembly.

Today, IntLawGrrl Ariel Wheway blogged about the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression and a side-event organized by Liechtenstein. Canada, the Netherlands and Justice Rapid Response also held a side-event, this one titled “Investigating International Crimes at the National Level: Realizing the Promise of Complementarity in the Gambia and the Case for Specialized Expertise”. Other side events were hosted by Ireland, Uganda and the ICC Trust Fund for Victims on reparative justice for victims in the Rome Statute system; Netherlands, South Korea and Parliamentarians for Global Action on the Rome Statute system in the Asia-Pacific region; Chile, FIDH and others on the role of counsel in victim participation; and FIDH on the Central African Republic. Former US Ambassador-at-Large on War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp, spoke at a side-event focused on Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Stay tuned for more IntLawGrrls coverage of the 2018 ICC Assembly of States Parties!