The Rome Statute, also known as the International Criminal Court (ICC) Statute, is a multilateral treaty that established the ICC. The ICC is an international tribunal created to prosecute individuals for the most serious crimes that concern the international community as a whole.
These crimes, commonly referred to as “core crimes,” are listed in the Rome Statute and are considered to be of grave concern to humanity. Let’s take a closer look at these crimes and their definitions.
Genocide
Genocide, as defined in Article 6 of the Rome Statute, refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. These acts include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children from one group to another.
Crimes against Humanity
Crimes against humanity are defined in Article 7 of the Rome Statute as specific acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population. These acts include murder, extermination, enslavement, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance of persons, persecution on political, racial or religious grounds, and other inhumane acts intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to physical or mental health.
War Crimes
War crimes are detailed under Article 8 of the Rome Statute and encompass violations committed during armed conflicts that breach international humanitarian law. War crimes can include intentionally Targeting civilians or civilian objects such as schools and hospitals; using prohibited weapons such as chemical weapons; conscripting child soldiers; torture; cruel treatment; and attacking personnel or objects involved in humanitarian assistance.
Aggression
The crime of aggression, defined in Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute, relates to the planning, preparation, initiation or execution of an act of aggression by a political or military leader. Aggression refers to the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of another state when it is in violation of the United Nations Charter.
Conclusion
The Rome Statute outlines these four core crimes – genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression – as serious offenses that warrant international attention and prosecution. By establishing the ICC and defining these crimes within the statute itself, the international community has taken a significant step towards ensuring that those responsible for such grave violations are held accountable.
The Rome Statute serves as a powerful tool to promote justice and deter future atrocities.