Wednesday, April 06, 2005

NR0406:IPU should support ICC

From the Office of Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
Philippine House of Representatives
News Release April 6, 2005
South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Visit geocities.com/ap_news

112th IPU should ratify a resolution expressing support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and condemn the US government's attacks against Iraq - Rep. Beltran

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran expressed hope that the 112th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly will see it fit to pass a resolution expressing support for international efforts to further strengthen the institution of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Item 4 of the IPU agenda is the role of parliaments in the establishment and functioning of mechanisms to provide for the judgment and sentencing of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and terrorism, with a view to avoiding impunity (Committee on Peace and International Security).

"Parliaments and congressional bodies all over the world should support the ICC and denounce governments and military forces who violate rules treatises governing the conduct of war. In particular, the IPU should come up with a resolution expressing full support for the ICC," he said.

The ICC is supported by a total of 89 countries. An additional 50 countries have signed on to the statutes of the court but have yet to ratify their collaboration. The ICC has been described as the descendent of the tribunal at Nuremberg set up after the Second World War to try leaders of the Nazi party for conducting wars of aggression and war crimes. The court is mandated to deal with any war crimes and crimes against humanity committed after July 1, 2002. These would include genocide, the bombing of civilians, and systematic rape and torture.

Beltran said that delegates to the IPU should commit support to the ICC, and in particular push their respective governments if they're not yet signatories to the ICC or if they haven't ratified their membership to do ratify.

"The IPU and its individual delegates should oppose the campaign of the United States against the ICC. The US is the only country actively conducting a campaign against the ICC and has signed treaties with more than 20 nations giving its citizens immunity from the ICC. The US' continuing occupation of Iraq has resulted to thousands of crimes against humanity," he said."

The US administration has campaigned long and hard against the ICC. With soldiers deployed in more than 140 countries, the Bush administration has made it absolutely clear that it will do everything in its power to undermine the work of the court. #

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home