International Criminal Court President Philippe Kirsch to visit Finland
Press release 215/2008
11 June, 2008
Judge Philippe Kirsch, President of the International Criminal Court, will visit Finland on 12–13 June, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb. During the visit, in addition to the Foreign Minister Stubb, Kirsch will meet with President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and Minister of Justice Tuija Brax.
Aside from these meetings, Kirsch will be the main speaker at the seminar entitled “Current Challenges to International Criminal Justice: ICC ten years after the adoption of the Rome Statute”, which will be held at the auditorium of the Parliament Annex, or Little Parliament, Arkadiankatu 3, on 12 June at 14:00–16:00, organised by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The seminar will also mark the tenth anniversary of the international treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, known as the Rome Statute. The treaty establishing the International Criminal Court was adopted in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998.
So far, 106 States have become Parties to the Rome Statute. Finland has been among the International Criminal Court’s active supporters from the beginning. The European Union also is a staunch supporter of the International Criminal Court.
With the entry into force of the Rome Statute in 2002, practical measures for establishing the Court were initiated. The first Judges of the Court, including Judge Kirsch of Canada, the Court Prosecutor and the Registrar were elected in 2003. Judge Kirsch has been the first President of the Court since then.
The International Criminal Court is the first criminal court exercising international jurisdiction that is not restricted to one particular conflict situation and that is of a permanent nature. The scope of its jurisdiction encompasses the most serious crimes to the international community: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Court’s jurisdiction is secondary in relation to national courts.
The Office of the Prosecutor at present is investigating four situations: Uganda (the northern part), Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Sudan (Darfur). Of these four, the situation in Darfur has come under investigation at the request of the UN Security Council. As to the others, State Parties have themselves requested investigation. Charges have been pressed and warrants for arrests have been issued for all four situations. The latest arrest was made in Brussels at the end of May.
Additional information: Marja Lehto, Head of the Unit for Public International Law, tel. +358 9 1605 5726 or mobile tel. +358 40 511 8429, and Legislative Counsellor Sari Mäkelä, tel. +358 9 1605 5588 or mobile tel. +358 40 739 2853