

Our purpose: Promoting peace through criminal justice – preventing crimes of aggression
Through the United Nations Charter, States have expressed their commitment “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. They have agreed to renounce the illegal threat or use of force, and to settle their disputes “by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered”. States have the legal duty to abide by this commitment and the UN Security Council has the primary responsibility to enforce it.The Nuremberg Trials made it clear that criminal justice also has an important role to play for the promotion of peace and the deterrence of acts of aggression – though it remained limited and theoretical for many decades thereafter. With the 2010 Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, States Parties created a new mechanism to enforce the most important rule of international law: the prohibition of the illegal use of force under the United Nations Charter. This website is dedicated to making accountability a reality.
News
The event was supported by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland and the Global Challenges Foundation (Sweden), and was organized in partnership with the Montreal Institute for Global Security.
Regional Conferences on Reviewing the Rome Statute: On 6 June 2025, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted in Berlin its final regional conference of the series entitled “Review of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Strengthening the Court’s Jurisdiction for the Crime of Aggression.” This last conference was organized to bring together representatives from African States Parties. ICC President Akane gave the keynote address. Three members of the Global Institute for the Prevention of aggression were part of the panels: Prof. Claus Kreß, Prof. Patrycja Grzebyk and Dr. Annegret Hartig. The series is intended to foster a united approach for the Review Conference in July 2025.
Conference in Armenia on “Crime against Peace: Addressing the Crime of Aggression in a Changing World”:
From 4 to 6 June 2025, the Center for Truth and Justice organized in Yerevan, Armenia, a conference on the crime of aggression to underscore the urgency of renewed dialogue and advocacy in strengthening legal frameworks to combat aggression. Seven members of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression spoke at the conference: former ICC President Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, Prof. Jennifer Trahan, Prof. Carrie McDougall, Prof. Gregory S. Gordon (in person); Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, Prof. Matthew Gillett and Prof. Claus Kreß (remotely). Ambassadors Fernández de Gurmendi and Wenaweser provided keynote addresses.
Timor-Leste becomes 48th State to ratify Kampala amendments: The GIPA congratulates Timor-Leste on becoming the 48th State to ratify the amendments on the crime of aggression on 30 May 2025.
GIPA letter to the ILC on Draft Article 7: On the occasion of the 76th Session of the International Law Commission (ILC) beginning on 28 April 2025, the Global Initiative for the Prevention of Aggression (GIPA) provided brief comments to the ILC on draft article 7 of the draft articles on immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction. GIPA explains in its letter why there is no functional immunity from foreign criminal jurisdiction. Leaving the crime of aggression out of the list of crimes to which functional immunities do not attach would result in inconsistency and a risk of double standards. This could potentially fragment international law. For the full comments, see here.
Official crime of aggression amendment proposal to serve as the basis of upcoming Review negotiations: The governments of Germany, Costa Rica, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Vanuatu have jointly submitted a proposed amendment to the Rome Statute to the UN Secretary General in his capacity as depositary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. This text will serve as the basis of negotiations at the upcoming Review to be conducted by the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties.
The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression is delighted that the amendment text is essentially what GIPA had proposed to states in the fall of 2023.
Regional Conferences on Reviewing the Rome Statute: On 10 April 2025, GIPA Council of Adviser Professor Patrycja Grzebyk and Professor Claus Kreß were part of panels presenting during the regional conference in Seoul organized by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Estonia and Poland. The panels explored the case and the legal options for strengthening the ICC’s jurisdictional regime on the crime of aggression at the Review Conference this year. The meeting is part of the series of regional conferences in Africa, Latin America and Asia entitled “Review of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Strengthening the Court’s Jurisdiction for the Crime of Aggression.” For videos of the conference, see here.