Ukraine and the ratification of the Rome Statute: On the Independence Day of Ukraine on 24 August 2024, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy symbolically signed the law previously adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal …
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Robert Kempner Prize 2024: On 4 May 2024, Annegret Hartig received the Robert Kempner Prize for her monograph “Making Aggression a Crime Under Domestic Law. On the Legislative Implementation of Article 8bis of the ICC Statute.“ The Robert Kempner Prize …
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Side-Event on the Occasion of the International Justice Day: On July 18, 2024, the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica, the Gambia, Germany, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Vanuatu to the United Nations as well as the Global Institute for the Prevention of …
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GIPA’s call to all States Parties on the International Justice Day 2024: On 17 June 2024, the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression calls on all States Parties to the Rome Statute to “[t]ake action to negotiate and agree on
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Meeting of the Global Institute for the Prevention of AggressionOn 2 June 2024, the members of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression (GIPA) met in The Hague to discuss the possibilities of amending the Rome Statute to harmonize
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Memorial of Ben Ferencz and Thomas Buergenthal: On 2 June 2024, Don Ferencz hosted a memorial honoring the legacy of two men with outstanding contributions to international law who died last year: Ben Ferencz, US chief prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen …
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Seminar on Strengthening the Court’s Jurisdiction for the Crime of AggressionOn 23 April 2024, a seminar was convened at the German Embassy in The Hague focusing on enhancing the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. Five members of the …
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Council of Europe Seminar on the Special Tribunal: A seminar on “The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine: What Role for Regional Organisations such as the Council of Europe?” was held on 10 April 2024 in Strasbourg on the …
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In memoriam of Ben Ferencz: Our co-founder and one of the most dedicated advocates of the rule of law, especially the crime of aggression, would have turned 104 years old today. We miss him immensely and we are looking forward
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Conference “Addressing cyber-related crimes under the Rome Statute system”: Professor Jennifer Trahan, Convenor of The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression, was honored to present the findings of the Council of Advisers’ Report on the Application of the Rome Statute …
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Aside

Aggression-related side events at the ICC Assembly of States Parties: On 7 December 2023, the Permanent Missions of Guatemala, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, and Ukraine to the UN sponsored a panel “Accountability for the Crime of Aggression: Current Developments and Future Responses.”  …
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Ukraine’s statement at the Sixth Committee: At the UN General Assembly in October 2023, Ukraine called on the International Law Commission to confirm the inapplicability of functional immunity in proceedings for crimes under international law, without exception and hence encompassing …
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ConferenceTowards accountability for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine”: organized by Prof. Pavel Šturma and Dr. Milan Lipovský, gathered scholars, practitioners, state representatives and civil society members to discuss the various proposed forms of mechanism to assess individual …
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Liechtenstein’s statement at the Sixth Committee: The GIPA welcomes the clear language of Liechtenstein when commenting on the work of the International Law Commission at the UN General Assembly on 23 October 2023. Liechtenstein does not understand why draft article …
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Conference on Amendments: In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute, the Vienna Conference on Amendments (6 – 7 October 2023), organized by Dr. Astrid Reisinger Coracini, gathered international scholars, State representatives, and civil society to discuss the …
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GIPA Proposal to Amend Article 15bis of the Rome Statute: The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression believes it is critical to strengthen the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. Reasons for the proposed amendment are summarized here. …
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Conference Room Paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: On 29 August 2023, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published a report in which it made recommendations on proposed accountability measures and expressed its support …
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Niger becomes 45th State to ratify Kampala amendments: On 14 April 2023, Niger deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 45th State to ratify the amendments on the crime of aggression.

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute and 5th anniversary of activation of the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression   On July 17, 2023, the Rome Statute celebrated its 25th anniversary. The same day marked the 5th …
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Nuremberg Academy Lecture on “The Ukraine War and the Crime of Aggression”: On 4 May 2023, Claus Kreß gave the second Nuremberg Academy lecture, entitled “The Ukraine War and the Crime of Aggression”, hosted by the International Nuremberg Principles Academy.  This was the second Nuremberg Academy Lecture at …
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Nuremberg Declaration on the Crime of Aggression of 8 May 2023: The International Nuremberg Principles Academy following on a thorough deliberation on these matters with leading international law experts adopted a declaration in which it: “Calls upon the international community …
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Nuremberg Academy Lectures on 4 May 2023: The International Nuremberg Principles Academy hosted a lecture on “The Ukraine War and the Crime of Aggression” and honored Benjamin Ferencz, former President emeritus of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression, …
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Coalition for International Criminal Justice – States Parties Should Strengthen the ICC’s Ability to Prosecute Aggression: Whilst establishing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression may address the current lacuna with respect to Russia’s attack on Ukraine,a sustainable solution
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Statement Honoring the Legacy of Benjamin B. Ferencz: The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression is deeply saddened to report that the Institute’s co-founder and President Emeritus Benjamin B. Ferencz died on April 7, 2023, at the age of …
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UN General Assembly calls for immediate end to war in Ukraine: On 23 February 2023, hours before the conflict entered its second year,  the UN General Assembly adopted by majority vote a resolution calling for an end to the war. 141 …
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Congressional Gold Medal for Benjamin Ferencz: President Emeritus of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression, Benjamin Ferencz, is to receive a US Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War …
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Resolution by the French Assemblée Nationale: On 30 November 2022, the French Parliament adopted a resolution in which it strongly condemns the Russian crime of aggression committed against Ukraine, calls on the EU and its Member States to support the …
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Statement by the President of the European Commission: On 30 November 2022, the President of the European Commission von der Leyen proposed to set up a specialised court, backed by the United Nations, to investigate and prosecute Russia’s crime of …
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Statement of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression: States Parties are called upon to remove the restrictions on the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. For the full statement, see here.

Acknowledgment by the UN General Assembly: On 2 November 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution which recalls, for the first time, the activated jurisdiction of the ICC over the crime of aggression as well as the competence …
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Peru becomes 44th State to ratify Kampala amendments: On 14 October 2022, Peru deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 44th State to ratify the amendments on the crime of aggression.

Chautaqua Principles

Chautaqua Principles: The 14th annual International Humanitarian Law Roundtables held August 28-30, 2022, at Lake Chautauqua, New York, culminated in the issuance of the “Chautauqua Principles” (see here). They, inter alia, state:   Current Law and Existing Judicial Mechanisms are Insufficient to Adequately Secure …
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Acknowledgment of the gravity of the crime of aggression by the US Senate: US Senate acknowledges that the ICC’s mandate includes prosecuting the crime of aggressionone of the “gravest crimes of concern to the international community.”  See here

Proposal to Amend the Jurisdiction of the ICC over the Crime of Aggression: Since March 2022, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) have elaborated a non-paper containing specific amendments to Article 15bis of the Rome Statute that would partially align the …
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Virtual Roundtable of the Council on Foreign Relations: In Defense of a Democracy: Prosecuting Russian Aggression Against Ukraine: On 25 May 2022, David Scheffer, Oona Hathaway and Claus Kreß discussed the crime of aggression and the need for a special …
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James Kingston Obituary: It is with enormous sadness that the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression reports the death of James Kingston. As a legal adviser of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and President of the Irish Branch of …
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Statement of Members of the Council of Advisors on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: urging States Parties to the Rome Statute to amend the crime of aggression’s jurisdictional regime. GIPA Statement_24 March 2022_ENG GIPA Statement 24 March 2022_UKR GIPA Statement 24 March …
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Repository of Documents Relevant to the Situation in Ukraine: The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression has created a repository of documents relevant to the situation in Ukraine, such as applicable domestic criminal laws as well as resolutions and …
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Ukrainian Criminal Code Article 437 Planning, Preparation and Waging of an Aggressive War (1) Planning, preparation or waging of an aggressive war or armed conflict, or conspiring for any such purposes – shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term …
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Statement of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression on the Situation in Ukraine: Article 2(4) of the United Nations (“U.N.”) Charter is the cornerstone of the rules-based international order—the prohibition of the threat or use of force against …
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The Council of Advisers’ Report on the Application of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to Cyberwarfare:  Based on a series of three convenings involving a group of eminent legal and technical experts across 2019 and 2020, the …
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The New Convenor’s Reminder of the Importance of the Crime of Aggression: Jennifer Trahan’s blog post on the situation of Russia and Ukraine http://opiniojuris.org/2022/02/04/a-reminder-of-the-importance-of-the-crime-of-aggression-considering-the-situation-of-russia-and-ukraine/

Italy and Sweden become 42nd and 43rd States to ratify the Kampala amendments: On 26 January 2021, Italy and Sweden deposited their instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, bringing the total number of States that have ratified the amendments on
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Italy and Sweden become 42nd and 43rd States to ratify the Kampala amendments: On 26 January 2021, Italy and Sweden deposited their instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, bringing the total number of States that have ratified the amendments on
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Italy and Sweden become 42nd and 43rd States to ratify the Kampala amendments: On 26 January 2021, Italy and Sweden deposited their instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, bringing the total number of States that have ratified the amendments on
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GIPA has a new Convenor: Congratulations to Prof. Jennifer Trahan on assuming the role of Convenor of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression.

Mongolia becomes 41st State to ratify Kampala amendments: On 18 January 2021, Mongolia deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 41st State to ratify the amendments on the crime of aggression.

40th State Ratifies the Kampala amendments on the Crime of Aggression: On 10 December 2020, Bolivia deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 40th State to ratify the amendments.

Launch of new Cyber Project

Launch of new Cyber Project: On 29 and 30 October 2019, Liechtenstein together with Argentina, Belgium, Estonia, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland and the Global Institute on the Prevention of Aggression launched a new Council of Advisers on the Application of the Rome Statute …
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Ecuador 39th State to ratify Kampala Amendments

Ecuador 39th State to ratify Kampala Amendments: On 25 September 2019, Ecuador deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 39th State to ratify the amendments.

Paraguay 38th State to ratify Kampala Amendments:

Paraguay 38th State to ratify Kampala Amendments: On 5 April 2019, Paraguay deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 38th State to ratify the amendments.

Guyana 37th State to ratify Kampala Amendments

Guyana 37th State to ratify Kampala Amendments: On 28 September 2018, Guyana deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 37th State to ratify the amendments.

Ireland ratifies Kampala Amendments

Ireland 36th State to ratify Kampala Amendments: On 27 September 2018, Ireland deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 36th State to ratify the amendments.

ICC Assembly of States Parties (ASP) decides to activate the Court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression: In the early morning hours of 15 December, the 123 States Parties to the Rome Statute made the historic decision to enable the …
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Panama 35th State to ratify Kampala Amendments: On 6 December 2017, Panama deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments, becoming the 35th State to ratify the amendments.

From Nuremberg to New York: Historic Opportunity to Activate ICC Jurisdiction over Crime of Aggression (VIDEO): In December 2017, the first permanent independent international criminal court in history stands on the brink of having the jurisdiction to hold national leaders accountable for the …
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NEWS: Georgia 20th State to ratify Kampala Amendments

Georgia 20th State to ratify Kampala Amendments: On 5 December 2014, Gocha Lordkipanidze, Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia deposited his country’s instrument of ratification of the Kampala Amendments. The Eastern European region continues its leadership role in the ratification
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NEWS: Vale Hans-Peter Kaul

Vale Hans-Peter Kaul: Hans-Peter Kaul, retired ICC judge, head of the German delegation to the Rome Conference and member of the Global Institute’s Council of Advisers, died on 21 July 2014. He leaves behind a rich and unique legacy, having …
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NEWS: Slovakia ratifies Kampala Amendments

Slovakia ratifies Kampala Amendments: On 28 April 2014, State Secretary Peter Burian deposited Slovakia’s instrument of ratification of the Kampala Amendments at the United Nations. Slovakia is the 14th State to have ratified the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of …
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Communiqué: Sierra Leone Workshop on Implementation of the Rome Statute and the Amendments on the Crime of Aggression (2012)

The Sierra Leone Institute of International Law with support from Commonwealth Secretariat at the conclusion of its three day workshop on the topic: Promoting the implementation of the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal court and the Kampala Amendments …
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New Zealand ‘International Non-Aggression and Lawful Use of Force (Implementation of Amendment to Statute of Rome) Bill’ (2012)

General policy statement The purpose of this Bill is to implement the Amendment to the Statute of Rome 1998, pertaining to the crime of aggression, as adopted in Resolution 6 of the ReviewConference of the States Parties in Kampala, 11 …
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Criminal Code of Luxembourg (including Crime of Aggression) (2012)

[…] Art. 136quinquies. (L. 27 février 2012) (1) Est qualifié de crime d’agression la planification, la préparation, le lancement ou l’exécution par une personne effectivement en mesure de contrôler ou de diriger l’action politique ou militaire d’un Etat, d’un acte …
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RC/Res.6 El crimen de agresión (2010)

La Conferencia de Revisión, Recordando el párrafo 1 del artículo 12 del Estatuto de Roma, Recordando el párrafo 2 del artículo 5 del Estatuto de Roma, Recordando también el párrafo 7 de la resolución F aprobada el 17 de julio …
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RC/Res.6 Le crime d’agression (2010)

La Conférence de révision, Rappelant le paragraphe 1 de l’article 12 du Statut de Rome, Rappelant le paragraphe 2 de l’article 5 du Statut de Rome, Rappelant également le paragraphe 7 de la résolution F, adoptée le 17 juillet 1998 …
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RC/Res.6 The Crime of Aggression (2010)

The Review Conference, Recalling paragraph 1 of article 12 of the Rome Statute, Recalling paragraph 2 of article 5 of the Rome Statute, Recalling also paragraph 7 of resolution F, adopted by the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on
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Depositary Notification: Adoption of the Amendments on the Crime of Aggression (2010)

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, acting in his capacity as depositary, communicates the following: On 11 June 2010, at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute, held in Kampala, Uganda, from 31 May to 11 June 2010, the Parties …
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NEWS: Huffington Post article about aggression

Huffington Post article about aggression: Sam Sasan Shoamanesh, Co-founder, Global Brief, and Head of the Counsel Assistance Unit of the ICC, writes that “It has cost humanity rivers of blood, destruction of Biblical proportions, untold suffering and irreparable losses of …
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