Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:59. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will use Ireland’s seat on the UN Security Council to examine an international law on ecocide. [43740/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 30 September 2021
Ceisteanna (59)
Freagraí scríofa
I am aware of a recent initiative by the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide. The Independent Expert Panel proposal provides a new definition of the crime of ecocide, which seeks to serve as the basis for consideration for an amendment of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This amendment, if accepted by the States Parties to the Rome Statute, would see ecocide included as an international crime, alongside genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
The ICC is the first permanent, international criminal court and was established by the 1998 Rome Statute to end impunity for perpetrators of the world’s most heinous crimes. Ireland is a State Party to the Rome Statue and a strong supporter of the ICC as the cornerstone of a system of international criminal justice. As with all proposed amendments to the Rome Statute, it is for States Parties individually to assess the merits of the proposal in the first instance. If there is sufficient support among States Parties for an agreed definition of ecocide, a formal amendment can be considered by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statue. As such, the UN Security Council has no role in this process.
I have followed this initiative with great interest since its publication in June 2021. The proposal to agree a legal definition of ecocide and to subsequently include it as a new international crime in the Rome Statute is in its very early stages and will require careful consideration and analysis. My officials will engage in discussions on the important implications of this proposal with our international partners, both within the EU and with other fellow States Parties to the Rome Statute.