Our purpose: Promoting peace through criminal justice – preventing crimes of aggression

Through the United Nations Charter, virtually all States in the world 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 (more…)

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, the promotion of peace through criminal justice has gained new momentum. States Parties to the ICC decided to empower the Court to hold leaders accountable who are responsible for the most serious forms of the illegal use of force against other States at the 2010 Review Conference in Kampala, Uganda.
They adopted a definition of the crime of aggression, which is also expected to be incorporated into many domestic criminal codes. They thus 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. 30 ratifications, as well as a further decision by States Parties in 2017, are required for the ICC take up this new function. This website is dedicated to making this new accountability mechanism a reality.

News

14 FEB 2022

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/

14 FEB 2022

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 the crime of aggression to 43.

See https://www.onuitalia.com/2022/01/26/icc-italy-and-sweden-deposit-kampala-amendments-instruments-of-ratification/

13 OCT 2021

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.

13 OCT 2021

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.

13 OCT 2021

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.

29 OCT 2019

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 to Cyberwarfare. The Council was formed as a time-bound forum for States, Academics and Civil Society Members to discuss how different forms of cyber operations fit into the Rome Statute system and other international legal frameworks.

21 OCT 2019

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.

15 MAY 2019

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.

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