The United States and the International Criminal Court

The US Should Join ICC

The US support for international criminal justice dates back to the formation and operationalization of the UN War Crimes Commission, several war tribunals including tribunals at Tokyo and Nuremberg, tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Lebanon, Rwanda, and Cambodia, as well as other tribunals. With its authority to prosecute and punish crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, aggression, and war, the ICC is the foundation of the international criminal justice system (VanSchaack, 2015). The ICC States Parties currently consist of 123 countries that have accepted the Rome Statute (Villacis, 2018). Given its historical background of supporting human rights violations, the United States should join the ICC as a member state.

If the US joins the ICC, it will reaffirm its adherence to international law. According to Rhea & Meldrum (2015) US cooperation in international law and justice would signal that the United States is open to business with other countries. After signing up for the Rome Statute, the United States would ultimately be able to fulfill its responsibilities.

US’s joining the ICC will improve the court and the efficacy of international justice. The United States remains the only powerhouse globally, and the court may profit from its vast resources. Zvobgo (2019) commented that knowing that the US and the ICC are allied, international offenders will rethink their actions.

In conclusion, the United States' participation in the ICC would allow it to advocate for changes inside the court. The US would join the Assembly of States Parties, the legislative body that governs the court, as a full member of the court. The US will have more power and credibility in pushing for improvements. In the ICC, the United States would have an authentic voice.

References

Rhea, H. M., & Meldrum, R. C. (2015). United States Public Support for the International Criminal Court: A Multivariate Analysis of Attitudes and Attributes. U. Pa. J. Int'l L., 37, 739.

VanSchaack, B. (2015). The building blocks of hybrid justice. Denv. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y, 44, 169.

Villacis, R. (2018). Working Methods of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute. International Criminal Law Review, 18(3), 563-575.

Zvobgo, K. (2019). Human rights versus national interests: Shifting US public attitudes on the international criminal court. International Studies Quarterly, 63(4), 1065-1078.