Document 17
Document 17
Document 17
Despite all the good intentions, the ICC faces formidable obstacles. Most
significantly, influential states like the United States, China, Russia, and
Israel have refused to become members, thus hugely disregarding its claim
to universal jurisdiction and demining its legitimacy. Besides, claims of bias,
especially about its focus on African countries, also discredit the ICC from
claiming to be impartial. The lack of an implementing mechanism also
discourages the ICC in executing its warrants and investigating prisoners.
Besides the basic support for the Rome Statute, Finland is also active in
many other international treaties and conventions that contribute toward the
upholding of international criminal justice. Our strong commitment to the
Geneva Conventions and to the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide underlines, more generally, how firmly
we believe in the protection of human rights and in bringing before justice
the perpetrators who commit such crimes. Furthermore, Finland is at the
forefront in promoting the work of the ad hoc tribunals—the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda—which, through their jurisprudence and experiences,
have been of fundamental importance for the work of the ICC.
Thank you.