The Indian Ocean archipelago of Seychelles has become the latest country to ratify the pact establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is tasked with trying people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Seychelles ratified the 1998 Rome Statute yesterday, which means it will enter into force for that country on 1 November, according to a press release issued by the court in The Hague, the Dutch city where it is headquartered.
The ICC said the ratification means Seychelles has joined “the growing group of States determined to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, for the sake of present and future generations.”
The ICC was set up in 2002 after the number of ratifications passed 60 that year. Seychelles’ move means there are now 112 States Parties to the statute.
An independent, permanent court, the ICC is currently investigating events in five countries or regions: Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan’s Darfur region, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Kenya. An individual State or the Security Council can refer cases to the court for investigation.
