Preparatory Commission for

International Criminal Court

41^st Meeting (AM)

PREPARATORY COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

HEARS FROM COORDINATORS OF ITS FOUR WORKING GROUPS

Financial Goal for September Meeting

Of Assembly of States Parties Almost Met, Commission Learns

With real contributions of $2.6 million and pledges of $3.3 million, the International Criminal Court (ICC) had almost reached its goal of $2.8 million needed to finance the first meeting of the Assembly of States Parties in September, the Preparatory Commission for the Court was told this morning. 

Payments had been received from several organizations and States, according to the coordinator of the working group on the First Year Budget.  States included:  Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom, the Holy See, Sweden, Switzerland and Trinidad and Tobago.

During the meeting, the Commission decided that the first meeting of the Assembly of States Parties would take place from 3 to 10 September.

The Commission also heard briefings this morning by the coordinators of the following working groups:  Assembly of States Parties preparatory documents; Financial Rules –- the remuneration of judges, Prosecutor and Registrar; Victims Trust Fund; and the Crime of Aggression.

Regarding preparatory documents for the Assembly of States Parties, the coordinator said the group had considered several items, including a rolling text on the procedure for nomination and election of judges and the Prosecutor.  The group had also completed a second reading of the agenda for the meeting of the Assembly of States Parties.

Two new proposals were on the table for a permanent secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties, he continued, and the authors would be working on a combined, single plan.  A working paper had been introduced on the election procedure for members of the Committee on Budget and Finance, but had not yet been discussed.  Regarding arrangements for speakers at the meeting, it had been proposed that arrangements should be made by lottery.

The coordinator of the working group on the First Year Budget said that in two sessions over the past week the group had studied documents from the Secretariat containing new proposals by the Registrar, as well as several draft

resolutions and decisions.  The group had also begun discussing ways of recruiting officials for the Court.

Regarding Financial Rules, the coordinator of that working group said it had held two meetings last week, one informal and the other formal.  A document on allowances and benefits for non-full-time judges of the ICC had been circulated.  The outcome of the group’s consultations on the matter would be considered this afternoon, when he hoped it would be approved.

Substantial progress had been made on the Victims Trust Fund in two meetings over the past week, said the coordinator of that working group.  Discussions had focused on a paper prepared by the coordinator, a director for the Fund, the structure of Fund management, and questions related to the Fund, such as acceptance or refusal of applicants.

The coordinator of the group on the Crime of Aggression said that most of the group’s work would be concentrated in the second week of the session.  The group had two goals -- a substantive one and another regarding future handling of the issue -- which it had focused on in discussions.

The group needed to complete discussions on substantive matters and prepare proposals, she said, including the definition and elements of the crime of aggression and conditions under which the ICC would exercise its jurisdiction.  The group already had several proposals before it, including one by the representative of Samoa.

Regarding the future of its work, the working group had a proposal before it from the Non-Aligned Movement.  The group had had a preliminary look at the proposal and had proposed the creation of a special working group of the Assembly of States Parties, which would be open to all States. 

In other business this morning, the Chairman said he was confident that the Commission would complete its remaining tasks on time.  He drew the Commission’s attention to several issues, including the Draft Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Court, adopted by the Commission in October 2001, and the appointment by the Assembly of States Parties of the Director of Common Services. 

The representative of France then briefed the Commission on the creation of an International Defence Criminal Bar.  Some 150 countries and civil society organizations had decided to propose creation of the Bar within the Court.  A conference would be held in November in Paris to appoint a qualified person to establish, among other things, a code of ethics.  It was for the Assembly of States Parties to decide whether to acknowledge the Bar.

The following are coordinators of the Commission’s working groups:  Saeid Mirzaee-Yengejeh (Iran), Assembly of States Parties preparatory documents; Valentin Zellweger (Switzerland), First Year Budget; John Holmes (Canada), Financial Rules – the remuneration of the judges, Prosecutor and Registrar; Gaile Ramoutar (Trinidad and Tobago), Victims Trust Fund; and Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi (Argentina), Crime of Aggression.

The Commission will meet again on Friday morning, 12 July.