U.N. LAWYER DISCUSSES INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (LSN) – United Nations Legal Counsel Hans Corell said Monday that final negotiations for the proposed International Criminal Court (ICC) should be complete before the end of the summer. Corell noted that the UN Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries (decision-making body), will meet from June 15 to July 17 to finalize and adopt a draft statute for the court, to be ratified by the parliaments of individual nations.  Corell pointed out that questions remain about the jurisdiction of the ICC. While genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes are generally agreed upon, other areas such as “attacks against the UN” remain open for debate. Although not mentioned by Corell, the proposal to criminalize “enforced pregnancy” (which apparently means the lack of legal abortion) will also be debated.  Corell mentioned that “investigations and prosecutions” by the ICC may be initiated by a state party or by a third party referral to the Security Council, or “that the prosecutor might be authorized to initiate investigations.”“It is important that the court become universal and that individuals be held responsible for acts which the court would deal with,” Corell concluded.