NEWS: Luxembourg fourth country to ratify aggression amendments

Luxembourg fourth country to ratify aggression amendments: On 15 January 2012, Jean Asselborn, Deputy Prime Minister & Minster of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, deposited the instruments of ratification with the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations. Luxembourg is the fourth country to have ratified the Kampala amendments on the crime of aggression and on war crimes (article 8), following Liechtenstein, Samoa and Trinidad and Tobago. It is however the first ICC State Party that has both ratified the amendments and implemented them into domestic legislation. Luxembourg’s criminal code and its code of criminal procedure were already revised in February 2012. Now, after four ratifications, 26 additional ratifications are needed before the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over the crime of aggression can be activated.

Please see the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release (in English and French) for more information.

Photo: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn deposits instrument of ratification with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Patricia O’Brien. ©United Nations/Win Khine