PREPARATORY COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT APPROVES WORK PROGRAMME FOR TWO-WEEK SESSION

11 February 1997

Press Release
L/2822

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT APPROVES WORK PROGRAMME FOR TWO-WEEK SESSION

19970211 Discussion to Be Concentrated in Two Working Groups; Italy Proposes Rome as Site for Conference on International Court

The Preparatory Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court this morning approved its programme of work for the current two-week session, concentrating discussion in two working groups, one of which will consider the definition of crimes to be adjudicated by the court; the other on general principles of criminal law and penalties. The working groups will not meet simultaneously.

In an opening statement to the third session, the Preparatory Committee Chairman, Adriaan Bos (Netherlands), said that the mandate of the Committee to seek common solutions to substantive and administrative issues arising out of the court's draft statute was clear. The current session would take into account differing views expressed at earlier sessions and in written proposals with a view to preparing a widely acceptable consolidated text of a convention for consideration by a conference of plenipotentiaries.

The character of the current session would be different from previous sessions, he added. The General Assembly had stressed that the Preparatory Committee must now embark upon the practical elaboration of a consolidated text, one which clearly indicated the problems a diplomatic conference might be called upon to resolve. The new text should be supplementary to the original 60-article draft statute prepared by the International Law Commission, but it should also include some redrafted articles.

The Chairman expressed the hope that at the end of the present session the working groups would have expeditiously proceeded with the drafting exercise of a consolidated text. He urged the working groups to avoid general statements, focus on drafting and not invest their time in texts that had no realistic prospect of achieving consensus.

Sankurathripati Rama Rao (India) said that the Preparatory Committee should galvanize consensus among delegations and identify areas of difficulty for resolution by a diplomatic conference. It should not, however, limit itself to amending the existing draft text and avoid policy discussions. It should be open to considering new submissions.

International Criminal Court - 2 - Press Release L/2822 49th Meeting (AM) 11 February 1997

Francesco Paolo Fulci (Italy), said his Government proposed that the conference on the establishment of an international criminal court take place in Rome, both because Roman legal tradition had influenced the world for centuries and because the presence of 144 foreign embassies in the city would make it easier for all delegations to be in constant contact with their embassies and capitals. His Government intended to prepare the text of the national legislative and financial instruments for the funding of the conference and establish an "Honorary Committee" and an "Organizing Committee".

He said that Italy would need to undertake the necessary feasibility studies for the conference and assess the costs relating to it. As a result, it was essential that the Preparatory Committee give prompt consideration to Italy's proposal, although the formal decision on the arrangements for the conference would be made by the fifty-second General Assembly.

Also this morning, the Preparatory Committee elected Masataka Okano (Japan) as Rapporteur. It was also decided that working group I would be chaired by the Committee Chairman and working group II by the representative of Sweden, Per Saland.

Working group I will meet at 3 p.m. today.

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