The establishment and success of the International Criminal Court is to a large degree based on the strong and effective advocacy of civil society organizations. Thousands of NGO’s around the world support the fight against impunity for the worst crimes, and many of them are part of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court. While the Coalition does not take a common position on the crime of aggression, numerous civil society representatives have supported and influenced the process leading to the Kampala amendments, based on the belief that the effective criminalization of the crime of aggression is long overdue and – while complex and challenging for all actors involved – beneficial for peace, the rule of law and human rights. As an NGO representative, you can now assist in the ratification and implementation process by:
- calling on your government to ratify and implement the Kampala Amendments
- initiating or participating in discussions about the crime of aggression online or at events, including as part of events covering broader issues (such as international criminal justice, the ICC, conflict prevention, etc.);
- advocating for ratification and implementation through your own publications or through direct advocacy with government or parliamentary officials in your country – and letting us know (crimeofaggression@gmail.com) how we can help in this regard;
- take a stand in op-eds and other opinion pieces, as has been done in the New York Times and the Huffington Post;
- keeping yourself informed about the status of ratification and implementation of the amendments around the world and letting us know (crimeofaggression@gmail.com) where your country stands on ratification or implementation.