Vol. 498 No. 4
50 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when Ireland will ratify the Statute on the Permanent International Criminal Court agreed in Rome at a diplomatic conference on 17 July 1998; and when the court will be established for the purpose of hearing cases in relation to war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity. [27582/98]
The Statute of the International Criminal Court will enter into force on the first day of the month after the 60th day following the date of deposit of the 60th instrument of ratification. In other words, 60 states must ratify the statute before it can come into effect. To date, over 60 states have signed the statute but none has yet ratified. Ireland signed the Statute of the International Criminal Court, subject to ratification, on 7 October 1998.
The establishment of a permanent international criminal court is something which Ireland has advocated for many years and the Government took an active part in the development of the court's founding statute at the Rome conference. The adoption of the court's statute at the Rome conference was a major achievement which brings the establishment of an independent and effective international criminal court much closer to realisation. As the Deputy points out in his question the court will have jurisdiction over the most heinous crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The successful establishment of the international criminal court is therefore of major significance for the international community and Ireland will continue to support this endeavour by taking appropriate action to ratify the Rome statute as soon as possible, and by participating in the work of the preparatory commission which will meet in New York next year to elaborate the court's rules of evidence, procedure and other matters necessary for its effective operation.
