MEXICO, BECOMING 100TH STATE PARTY TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT, TO RATIFY ROME STATUTE TODAY

MEXICO , BECOMING 100^TH STATE PARTY TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT,

TO RATIFY ROME STATUTE TODAY

NEW YORK, 27 October (UN Office of Legal Affairs) -- Mexico has informed the United Nations of its intention to deposit its instrument of ratification to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on Friday, 28 October at noon, making it the 100^th ratification or accession received.

“The 100^th State Party has no legal ramifications under the Treaty’s provisions but it is a significant milestone”, said Palitha Kohona, United Nations Chief of the Treaty Section at the Office of Legal Affairs, “and it is notable that it is being deposited during this year, following on the heels of the record number of treaty actions at the Treaty Event held at the United Nations during the 2005 World Summit.”

Based in The Hague, the Court has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed after the entry into force of the Statute, on 1 July 2002.  Since then, the Court has begun three investigations into crimes committed in northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following referrals from the countries to the Court’s Prosecutor, and in Darfur, Sudan, following referral by the Security Council on 31 March 2005.

The adoption in 1998 of the Rome Statute and the formation of the International Criminal Court was the realization of an intention implied over half a century ago in the 1948 Convention against Genocide, which suggested establishing an international penal tribunal for its enforcement.

For more information, please contact Palitha Kohona, Chief, Treaty Section, Office of Legal Affairs, tel.:  (212) 963 5048, e-mail:  kohona@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record