Special Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: National Statement of Finland
Ms. Tarja Långström, Director at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland delivered Finland's National Statement at the General Debate of the Special Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in New York, on July 7, 2025.
Madam President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
Finland endorses the statement delivered by Germany on behalf of a group of countries.
Finland remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold international law, which includes individual criminal responsibility for the most serious international crimes. The crime of aggression amounts to a manifest violation of the UN Charter and of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the victim state. It corrodes the very foundation of the peace and security of all nations. As such, the crime of aggression demands a unified and principled global response.
In supporting the strengthening of the Court’s jurisdiction, Finland is also guided by its national security interests. We place our trust in international law and institutions, and spare no efforts to strengthen the protections they offer.
We strongly support efforts to align the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression with its jurisdiction over the other core international crimes. This alignment would close a critical gap in the Rome Statute.
From the very beginning, Finland has advocated for the inclusion of the crime of aggression in the Rome Statute. We fully support the amendment proposal submitted by Costa Rica, Germany, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Vanuatu.
The challenging global situation only underscores the urgency of addressing this jurisdictional disparity. The review is a forward-looking exercise aimed at strengthening the collective framework of accountability.
Our shared goal as States Parties must be to ensure that the review achieves its intended purpose: to enhance the ICC’s capacity to uphold justice and deter future acts of aggression.
Thank you.