Zelensky signs law on ratification of the Rome Statute

On August 24, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

This information is stated in the law card.

“The purpose of the draft law is to implement the domestic procedures necessary for the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and its amendments adopted by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute for Ukraine.”

Earlier, on August 15, President Zelenskyy submitted a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada on the ratification of the Rome Statute and its amendments. Another draft law proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine in the context of this ratification.

Ratification will enable Ukraine to become a full member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and participate in the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute.

The Rome Statute for Ukraine

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court empowers the Court to try the following international crimes:

• Genocide: Intent to destroy a particular national, racial, ethnic, or religious group.
• Crimes against humanity: Large-scale persecution of civilians.
• War crimes: Violations of the laws and customs of war, such as the treatment of prisoners of war or the use of prohibited weapons.
• Crimes of aggression: Planning or carrying out an act of aggression in violation of the UN Charter by a person exercising control over a military force.

The International Criminal Court is an international tribunal established in 1998 to investigate and prosecute persons accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It is the first tribunal to operate on a permanent basis. The Court began its work in July 2002 after 60 countries ratified the Rome Statute.

The International Criminal Court can hear cases under three conditions:

1. The state has signed and ratified the Rome Statute.
2. The UN Security Council refers the case to the ICC. This has happened twice in the Court’s 23-year existence, in the cases of South Sudan and Libya.
3. A state party to the Rome Statute itself initiates a case at the ICC.

Although Ukraine signed the Rome Statute in January 2000, it has not yet ratified it. To ratify the Rome Statute, Ukraine needs to amend its Criminal Code to make it compliant with this document. The ratification of the Rome Statute is also provided for in the Association Agreement with the EU.