10/01/2007
Ratification Would Strengthen Arab Voice for Justice
Global Coalition Urges Bahrain to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty
NewsYemen
New York, NY. In a letter to Bahraini King Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)—an international network of more than 2,000 non-governmental organizations advocating for a fair, effective and independent Court—urged the Kingdom of Bahrain to ratify the Rome Statute, which is the ICC’s founding treaty. More than half of the world—104 countries—has joined the ICC, which is the first permanent international court capable of trying individuals accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
10/01/2007
Ratification Would Strengthen Arab Voice for Justice
Global Coalition Urges Bahrain to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty
NewsYemen
New York, NY. In a letter to Bahraini King Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)—an international network of more than 2,000 non-governmental organizations advocating for a fair, effective and independent Court—urged the Kingdom of Bahrain to ratify the Rome Statute, which is the ICC’s founding treaty. More than half of the world—104 countries—has joined the ICC, which is the first permanent international court capable of trying individuals accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
The Coalition’s letter welcomed recent statements by the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs in favor of ratification and recommended the government transfer the bill on ratification to the Parliament as soon as possible.
“The time has come for Bahrain to be part of the ICC,” said Nasser Burdestani, Executive Coordinator of the Bahraini Coalition for the ICC. “Given the positive steps the government has recently taken and its election to the UN Human Rights Council, we believe Bahrain can take the lead in establishing a new era of justice and peace in the Gulf region.”
Although eleven Arab and Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, have signed the Rome Statute, and H.R.H. Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein from Jordan chaired the governing body of the ICC during its first three years, the Arab world remains poorly represented at the Court. To date, only three Arab states—Jordan, Djibouti and Comoros—have joined the Court.
Former Vice President of the Bahraini House of Representatives and President of the Bahraini Coalition for the ICC, Abdulhadi Marhoon, added, “For the developing world in particular, the very existence of the ICC is a deterrent to grave violations of human rights in these countries as well as to the threat of aggression from powerful countries against weaker ones.”
Amal Basha, the Yemen-based CICC Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, cited the important role that Bahrain plays in the region and the potential domino effect of its ratification. She also emphasized, “As Arab governments, including Bahrain, seek a greater role in international affairs they must assume greater responsibilities. Ratification of the ICC is one important way to demonstrate respect for international law and ensure accountability for the worst violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.”
