Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 November 2023
24. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of funding provided to the International Criminal Court in each year since 2002; the purpose of any ring-fenced funding by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51417/23]
View answerAs the first permanent international court with the power to prosecute the world’s most heinous crimes, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the cornerstone of the system of international criminal justice. The Court was established in 2002 with the entry into force of the Rome Statute. By its very existence the Court not only promotes and upholds the rule of law but also provides a means of bringing to account the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. In this way it contributes in a fundamental way to the cause of international peace and justice.
Ireland has been, and continues to be, a consistent and strong supporter of the ICC. We believe that the ICC should have sufficient resources to deliver upon its unique and important mandate. The ICC is funded mainly by means of annual assessed contributions made by the States Parties to the Rome Statute, determined every year at the Assembly of States Parties. The portion of the agreed budget that each individual State Party contributes is based on the UN Scale of Assessment, modified to take into account the composition of the Assembly of States Parties. The amount of Ireland’s assessed contribution for each year since 2002 is laid out below in tabular form.
Some of the Court’s work is also supported by voluntary trust funds established for specific purposes and Ireland has made voluntary contributions to the following such funds since 2002, in addition to its assessed contributions.
The ICC’s Trust Fund for Victims was established to respond to the harm resulting from the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court by implementing reparations awards ordered against a convicted person by the Court, and providing assistance to victims and their families in ICC situations through life-changing programmes.
The Office of the Prosecutor’s Trust Fund for Advanced Technology and Specialized Capacity supports the use of new technological tools in the collection and analysis of evidence, the provision of enhanced psycho-social support to witnesses and the enhancement of specialised capacity to investigate crimes of sexual and gender-based violence and crimes against children across all situations seized by the Court.
The Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries provides financial assistance to representatives of the least developed countries and other developing countries in order to participate in the activities of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC.
The Special Fund for Relocations assists States which are willing but do not have the financial capacity to enter into witness relocation agreements with the Court.
The Trust Fund for the Development of Interns and Visiting Professionals (“IVPs”) bolsters the Court’s commitment to fair geographical representation, and creates opportunities for individuals from developing countries who are disadvantaged due to limited financial means, to undertake a placement as an IVP at the Court.
The Trust Fund for Family Visits contributes to protecting the right to and respect of family life for the families of all indigent persons detained at the ICC Detention Centre and contributes to the efficient conduct of Court proceedings.
The amount that Ireland has contributed to each voluntary trust fund for each year since 2002 is laid out below in tabular form.
The Government is committed to continuing its support for the vital work of the ICC and on 14 November announced that it will make a new voluntary contribution of €3 million to the ICC. This contribution is in response to the urgent needs of the Court, which the Court’s Prosecutor has repeatedly emphasised, most recently in his statement of 17 November. Officials in my Department will liaise with the Court to determine how this voluntary contribution can be dispersed to help the ICC achieve the important mandate that States Parties have tasked it with.
Ireland’s Contributions to the ICC 2002-2022
|
Year |
Assessed Contribution |
Voluntary Contributions to Trust Fund for Victims |
Voluntary Contributions to Other Trust Funds |
Other |
|
2002 |
€47,062 |
|||
|
2003 |
€142,822 |
|||
|
2004 |
€384,178 |
€75,000 |
||
|
2005 |
€483,931 |
€100,000 |
€15,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2006 |
€559,478 |
€100,000 |
||
|
2007 |
€640,506 |
|||
|
2008 |
€497,649 |
|||
|
2009 |
€474,355 |
€100,000 |
€25,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2010 |
€729,632 |
€100,000 |
€25,000 (LDCs) |
|
|
2011 |
€765,647 |
€50,000 |
€10,000 (Least Developed Countries)€5,000 (Joint Regional Seminar with African Union)€50,000 (Special fund for Relocation of Witnesses) |
|
|
2012 |
€802,759 |
€50,000 |
€5,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2013 |
€743,932 |
€50,000 |
€5,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2014 |
€699,424 |
€50,000 |
€5,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
€1,039,355 (one-time payment to permanent premises project) (€9,690 returned in 2015, resulting in a final contribution of €1,029,665) |
|
2015 |
€821,758 |
€75,000 |
€5,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2016 |
€779,355 |
€75,000 |
€5,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2017 |
€807,827 |
€125,000 |
€10,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2018 |
€820,789 |
€175,000 |
€10,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2019 |
€981,784 |
€200,000 |
€10,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2020 |
€986,522 |
€200,000 |
€10,000 (Trust Fund for Least Developed Countries) |
|
|
2021 |
€983,348 |
€300,000 |
||
|
2022 |
€1.4m |
€1.5m |
€300,000 (Special Fund for Relocations); €150,000 (Trust Fund for the Development of Interns and Visiting Professionals) €50,000 (Trust Fund for Family Visits) |
