STATES PARTIES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ELECT SERGE BRAMMERTZ OF BELGIUM DEPUTY PROSECUTOR

International Criminal Court

Assembly of States Parties

Second Session

2^nd Meeting (AM)

STATES PARTIES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ELECT

SERGE BRAMMERTZ OF BELGIUM DEPUTY PROSECUTOR

The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) today elected Serge Brammertz of Belgium as Deputy Prosecutor.

Prior to his election by an absolute majority in the first and only round of a secret ballot -– 65 of 87 votes -- the Assembly decided that the term of office for the Deputy would be six years, starting on 3 November.  The term of the Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina, who took up his post on 16 June, will be nine years, in the absence of an Assembly decision on a shorter period.

The new Deputy Prosecutor was selected from an initial group of three candidates submitted by the Prosecutor to the States’ parties on 11 August.  Since then, one nominee was withdrawn, Hassan B. Jallow (Gambia).  The candidates for today’s election were Mr. Brammertz and Vladimir Tochilovsky of Ukraine.

In accordance with article 42 of the Rome Statute, the Deputy Prosecutors will be of high moral character and have extensive practical experience in the prosecution or trial of criminal cases.  They will also be fluent in at least one of the working languages of the Court.

Prior to his election today, Mr. Brammertz served as a Federal Prosecutor of Belgium and Deputy to the Prosecutor-General at the Liège Court of Appeal.  He was also a professor at the University of Liège, in Belgium, and, in 2002, he was National Prosecutor.  He holds degrees in law and criminology, including a doctorate of law from the Albert Ludwigs Universität in Freiburg, Germany.  Mr. Brammertz speaks French, German, Dutch and English.

Speaking on behalf of the African delegation before the vote, I.A. Ayua (Nigeria) expressed his disappointment over the withdrawal of the candidate from the Gambia.  He reaffirmed his support of the President’s efforts to steer the Assembly towards the realization of its goals and to fulfil the high expectations of the international community concerning the ICC.  He was encouraged that the Court’s Prosecutor had been elected by consensus.  Also significant had been that the ICC had become an operational judicial institution.

He said that the Court’s encouraging growth was indicative of the increasing confidence of the international community in the fight against impunity.  The Rome Statute allayed any national concerns about improper prosecutions.  Only universal adherence would give full meaning to the Statute.

Echoing the disappointment expressed by the Nigerian representative on behalf of Africa, Sibu Maqungo (South Africa) said that the abrupt withdrawal of the candidate from the Gambia had given the African delegation and the other States parties very little time to proceed with an election from among three candidates.  He requested that more time be given to submit a third nominee in the future.  Proper representation must be ensured in the Office of the Prosecutor.

Katuala Kaba-Sashala (Democratic Republic of the Congo) endorsed the two previous statements regarding the concern about the election.  He had noted the important statement made yesterday by the Prosecutor on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly the Ituri tragedy.  He noted with keen interest the hope voiced by the Prosecutor that the Court would be able to obtain enough information to proceed with prosecutions and end further impunity, once and for all.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 10 September, to continue its work.

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