Grave threat to national sovereignty and cultural and religious traditions
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 14 (LSN.ca) - Yesterday the Preparatory Commission for the International
Criminal Court began its fourth session of negotiations on the elaboration of the rules and
guidelines for the eventual functioning of the Court. The session runs from March 13-31 and
will focus on the texts of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and Elements of Crimes, for
which the completion deadline is June 30.
The rules cover such issues as composition and administration of the Court, penalties for
crimes, obligations of international co-operation and assistance, as well as enforcement of
sentences. On the matter of crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction - genocide, war crimes and
crimes against humanity - the Commission is at work identifying what is really covered by
those crimes. Incredibly, despite these many variables, over five countries have already
ratified the treaty, effectively surrendering their national sovereignty over whatever areas
the Court later claims jurisdiction.
The Court will assume universal jurisdiction in the areas it defines once the treaty
establishing the Court, known as the Rome Statute, receives 60 ratifications. This universal
jurisdiction will extend even to countries that have refused to ratify the treaty. The Court
would thus assume the status of a one-world governing body, at least with regard to the as
yet undefined crimes within its purview. International experts from a wide spectrum of
concern in Canada and the United States condemned the proposal as a threat to national
sovereignty and the distinct cultural and religious values protected in individual countries.
Some delegates at an earlier ICC conference attempted to add issues such as abortion to the
agenda of the court, leading some experts to warn that they will continue to push for changes
to the ICC’s mandate once it was been ratified by leading nations. The UN report on the
beginning of the current prepcom demonstrates that the category of crimes, which the Court
hopes to preside over, is open to expansion. While the Court is now to be concerned with
“genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” the document indicates that, “once the
working group on aggression completes its work, it is envisaged that the Court will also be
able to try individuals for that crime.”
In particular, pro-lifers familiar with the international scene, are concerned about the
influence of feminists and the homosexual lobby at the international level and their
potential to implement their agenda at the highest level of judicial appeal that currently
exists. Indeed, as LifeSite reported last week, a panel discussion of radical feminists at
the UN Beijing +5 Prepcom said the Court would be a “tool” that will serve as a “model” that"can be used to change domestic laws” to conform with feminist goals.
Last December, the Canadian government proposed a law (Bill C-19) which would ratify the Rome
Statute.
According to the information on the Rome Statute provided by the Canadian government,
countries will be forced to “surrender persons sought by the ICC for genocide, crimes against
humanity, war crimes and other offences under the Statute. In addition, a person who is the
subject of a request for surrender by the ICC would not be able to claim immunity from arrest
or surrender.” The absolute supremacy of the ICC over national law is also revealed in the
explanatory material. “It would not be a defence that an offence was committed in obedience
to the law in force at the time and in the place of its commission,” says the document.
The Canadian government is urging other countries to make it a priority to ratify the ICC
Statute and they have pledged $110,000 of taxpayer money in support of two international
lobbying efforts in that regard.
See the UN report on the current prepcom:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2000/20000313.l2948.doc.html
See the Canadian government press release on the subject:
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/news/communiques/1999/doc_24326.html
See Bill C-19:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-19/C-19_1/C-19TOCE.html
For more information on the ICC see:
http://www.lifesite.net/interim/june98/11unwatch(criminalcourt).html
http://www.lifesite.net/interim/august98/4ICC.html
ACTION ITEM
Canadian opponents of the ICC are asking citizens to immediately contact their MPs and ask
them to oppose Bill C-19 as a serious danger to Canadian sovereignty and culture. Citizens of
other countries, especially in the Third World, are also being strongly encouraged to demand
that their political leaders oppose the current direction of the ICC. The co-operation of
their governments in this and other recent UN agreements is leading their nations into
political and demographic suicide and permanent economic subservience to a first world agenda
ensuring continued western political and economic dominance.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/sm-e.htm
Grave threat to national sovereignty and cultural and religious traditions
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 14 (LSN.ca) - Yesterday the Preparatory Commission for the International
Criminal Court began its fourth session of negotiations on the elaboration of the rules and
guidelines for the eventual functioning of the Court. The session runs from March 13-31 and
will focus on the texts of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and Elements of Crimes, for
which the completion deadline is June 30.
The rules cover such issues as composition and administration of the Court, penalties for
crimes, obligations of international co-operation and assistance, as well as enforcement of
sentences. On the matter of crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction - genocide, war crimes and
crimes against humanity - the Commission is at work identifying what is really covered by
those crimes. Incredibly, despite these many variables, over five countries have already
ratified the treaty, effectively surrendering their national sovereignty over whatever areas
the Court later claims jurisdiction.
The Court will assume universal jurisdiction in the areas it defines once the treaty
establishing the Court, known as the Rome Statute, receives 60 ratifications. This universal
jurisdiction will extend even to countries that have refused to ratify the treaty. The Court
would thus assume the status of a one-world governing body, at least with regard to the as
yet undefined crimes within its purview. International experts from a wide spectrum of
concern in Canada and the United States condemned the proposal as a threat to national
sovereignty and the distinct cultural and religious values protected in individual countries.
Some delegates at an earlier ICC conference attempted to add issues such as abortion to the
agenda of the court, leading some experts to warn that they will continue to push for changes
to the ICC’s mandate once it was been ratified by leading nations. The UN report on the
beginning of the current prepcom demonstrates that the category of crimes, which the Court
hopes to preside over, is open to expansion. While the Court is now to be concerned with
“genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” the document indicates that, “once the
working group on aggression completes its work, it is envisaged that the Court will also be
able to try individuals for that crime.”
In particular, pro-lifers familiar with the international scene, are concerned about the
influence of feminists and the homosexual lobby at the international level and their
potential to implement their agenda at the highest level of judicial appeal that currently
exists. Indeed, as LifeSite reported last week, a panel discussion of radical feminists at
the UN Beijing +5 Prepcom said the Court would be a “tool” that will serve as a “model” that"can be used to change domestic laws” to conform with feminist goals.
Last December, the Canadian government proposed a law (Bill C-19) which would ratify the Rome
Statute.
According to the information on the Rome Statute provided by the Canadian government,
countries will be forced to “surrender persons sought by the ICC for genocide, crimes against
humanity, war crimes and other offences under the Statute. In addition, a person who is the
subject of a request for surrender by the ICC would not be able to claim immunity from arrest
or surrender.” The absolute supremacy of the ICC over national law is also revealed in the
explanatory material. “It would not be a defence that an offence was committed in obedience
to the law in force at the time and in the place of its commission,” says the document.
The Canadian government is urging other countries to make it a priority to ratify the ICC
Statute and they have pledged $110,000 of taxpayer money in support of two international
lobbying efforts in that regard.
See the UN report on the current prepcom:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2000/20000313.l2948.doc.html
See the Canadian government press release on the subject:
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/news/communiques/1999/doc_24326.html
See Bill C-19:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-19/C-19_1/C-19TOCE.html
For more information on the ICC see:
http://www.lifesite.net/interim/june98/11unwatch(criminalcourt).html
http://www.lifesite.net/interim/august98/4ICC.html
ACTION ITEM
Canadian opponents of the ICC are asking citizens to immediately contact their MPs and ask
them to oppose Bill C-19 as a serious danger to Canadian sovereignty and culture. Citizens of
other countries, especially in the Third World, are also being strongly encouraged to demand
that their political leaders oppose the current direction of the ICC. The co-operation of
their governments in this and other recent UN agreements is leading their nations into
political and demographic suicide and permanent economic subservience to a first world agenda
ensuring continued western political and economic dominance.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/sm-e.htm