[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4] [Senate] [Pages 4439-4440] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT Mr. DODD. Madam President, today with the deposit of the 66th instruments of ratification of the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court is on track to enter into force on July 1. I rise to acknowledge and congratulate those who have labored to reach this moment--the creation of a permanent international forum to bring to justice heinous criminals who have committed crimes against humanity, the fulfillment of the legacy of Nuremberg. The Nuremberg Trial of the leading Nazi war criminals following World War II was a landmark in the struggle to deter and punish crimes of war and genocide, setting the stage for the Geneva and Genocide Conventions. It was also largely an American initiative. Justice Robert Jackson's team drove the process of drafting the indictments, gathering the evidence and conducting this extraordinary case. My father, Thomas J. Dodd, served as executive trial counsel at Nuremberg, it was among his proudest accomplishments. I believe that he would have been proud today to see the International Criminal Court, ICC, come into existence. He believed that America had a special role to help make the rule of law relevant in every corner of the globe. I believe that he would have endorsed President Clinton's decision to sign the Rome Statute in December of 2000 on behalf of the United States. President Clinton did so knowing full well that much work remains to be done before the United States can become a party to the U.N. convention establishing an International Criminal Court. Now that the establishment of the ICC is inevitable, the United States must now determine what its relationship with the Court will be. Rather than adopting a course that will pit us against our best friends and allies, I call for the United States to be actively engaged with the ICC in working to ensure that it demonstrates the highest standards of jurisprudence and integrity. Although the United States is not a party to the treaty, The United States should feel free to raise its voice and give its opinion on who should be selected to be the Court's judges and prosecutors. The United States should also use its seat on the U.N.'s Security Council to refer situations to the Court, such as the current conflict in Sudan that has already claimed over 2 million lives as a result of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. And above all, the United States should be a watchdog of the Court's integrity and keep it laser focused on its primary task, bringing to justice the worlds worst criminals. There are those in Congress and the Administration who would have the United States repudiate the ICC, and work to tear it down. They would have us take the unprecedented step of ``unsigning'' the Rome Statute. I have just cited a number of vital American interests that are wrapped up in the Court. Those interests are not going to be erased with the name of the United States from the Rome Statute. That is why I strenuously oppose such action: it is irresponsible, isolationist, and contrary to our vital national interests. Many of our closest allies have put their faith in the vision of this new legal instrument. We should give them the benefit of the doubt that they are committed to making the court work to strengthen international respect for the rule of law. I will include the list of the States that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute at the conclusion of my remarks. I call on the Bush administration to recognize that there is a constructive and useful role that the United States can perform without making a decision at this juncture concerning US ratification. We should be prepared to lend our expertise in grappling with the many issues that remain to be resolved before the court becomes fully functioning. That is what a global power with the stature of the United States should do. I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record the list of States to which I referred. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: ROME STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT--PARTICIPANTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Participant Signature Ratification ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Albania.......................... 18 Jul 1998 ................. Algeria.......................... 28 Dec 2000 ................. Andorra.......................... 18 Jul 1998 30 Apr 2001 Angola........................... 7 Oct 1998 ................. Antigua and Barbuda.............. 23 Oct 1998 18 Jun 2001 Argentina........................ 8 Jan 1999 8 Feb 2001 Armenia.......................... 1 Oct 1999 ................. Australia........................ 9 Dec 1998 ................. Austria.......................... 7 Oct 1998 28 Dec 2000 Bahamas.......................... 29 Dec 2000 ................. Bahrain.......................... 11 Dec 2000 ................. Bangladesh....................... 16 Sep 1999 ................. Barbados......................... 8 Sep 2000 ................. Belgium.......................... 10 Sep 1998 28 Jun 2000 Belize........................... 5 Apr 2000 5 Apr 2000 Benin............................ 24 Sep 1999 22 Jan 2002 Bolivia.......................... 17 Jul 1998 ................. Bosnia and Herzegovina........... 17 Jul 2000 11 Apr 2002 Botswana......................... 8 Sep 2000 8 Sep 2000 Brazil........................... 7 Feb 2000 ................. Bulgaria......................... 11 Feb 1999 11 Apr 2002 Burkina Faso..................... 30 Nov 1998 ................. Burundi.......................... 13 Jan 1999 ................. Cambodia......................... 23 Oct 2000 11 Apr 2002 Cameroon......................... 17 Jul 1998 ................. Canada........................... 18 Dec 1998 7 Jul 2000 Cape Verde....................... 28 Dec 2000 ................. Central African Republic......... 7 Dec 1999 3 Oct 2001 Chad............................. 20 Oct 1999 ................. Chile............................ 11 Sep 1998 ................. Colombia......................... 10 Dec 1998 ................. Comoros.......................... 22 Sep 2000 ................. Congo............................ 17 Jul 1998 ................. Costa Rica....................... 7 Oct 1998 7 June 2001 Cote d'lvoire.................... 30 Nov 1998 ................. Croatia.......................... 12 Oct 1998 21 May 2001 Cyprus........................... 15 Oct 1998 7 Mar 2002 Czech Republic................... 13 Apr 1999 ................. Democratic Republic of the Congo. 8 Sep 2000 11 Apr 2002 Denmark.......................... 25 Sep 1998 21 Jun 2001 Djibouti......................... 7 Oct 1998 ................. Dominica......................... .................. 12 Feb 2001\2\ Dominican Republic............... 8 Sep 2000 ................. Ecuador.......................... 7 Oct 1998 5 Feb 2002 Egypt............................ 26 Dec 2000 ................. Eritrea.......................... 7 Oct 1998 ................. Estonia.......................... 27 Dec 1999 30 Jan 2002 Fiji............................. 29 Nov 1999 29 Nov 1999 [[Page 4440]] Finland.......................... 7 Oct 1998 29 Dec 2000 France........................... 18 Jul 1998 9 June 2000 Gabon............................ 22 Dec 1998 20 Sep 2000 Gambia........................... 4 Dec 1998 Georgia.......................... 18 Jul 1998 Germany.......................... 10 Dec 1998 11 Dec 2000 Ghana............................ 18 Jul 1998 20 Dec 1999 Greece........................... 18 Jul 1998 Guinea........................... 7 Sep 2000 Guinea-Bissau.................... 12 Sep 2000 Guyana........................... 28 Dec 2000 Haiti............................ 26 Feb 1999 Honduras......................... 7 Oct 1998 Hungary.......................... 15 Jan 1999 30 Nov 2001 Iceland.......................... 26 Aug 1998 25 May 2000 Iran (Islamic Republic of)....... 31 Dec 2000 Ireland.......................... 7 Oct 1998 11 Apr 2002 Israel........................... 31 Dec 2000 Italy............................ 18 Jul 1998 26 Jul 1999 Jamaica.......................... 8 Sep 2000 Jordan........................... 7 Oct 1998 11 Apr 2002 Kenya............................ 11 Aug 1999 Kuwait........................... 8 Sep 2000 Kyrgyzstan....................... 8 Dec 1998 Latvia........................... 22 Apr 1999 Lesotho.......................... 30 Nov 1998 6 Sep 2000 Liberia.......................... 17 Jul 1998 Liechtenstein.................... 18 Jul 1998 2 Oct 2001 Lithuania........................ 10 Dec 1998 Luxembourg....................... 13 Oct 19998 8 Sep 2000 Madagascar....................... 18 Jul 1998 Malawi........................... 22 Mar 1999 Mali............................. 17 Jul 1998 16 Aug 2000 Malta............................ 17 Jul 1998 Marshall Islands................. 6 Sep 2000 7 Dec 2000 Mauritius........................ 11 Nov 1998 5 Mar 2002 Mexico........................... 7 Sep 2000 Monaco........................... 18 Jul 1998 Mongolia......................... 29 Dec 2000 11 Apr 2002 Morocco.......................... 8 Sep 2000 Mozambique....................... 28 Dec 2000 Nomibia.......................... 27 Oct 1998 Nauru............................ 13 Dec 2000 12 Nov 2001 Netherlands...................... 18 Jul 1998 17 Jul 2001\1\ New Zealand...................... 7 Oct 1998 7 Sep 2000 Niger............................ 17 Jul 1998 11 Apr 2002 Nigeria.......................... 1 Jun 2000 27 Sep 2001 Norway........................... 28 Aug 1998 16 Feb 2000 Oman............................. 20 Dec 2000 Panama........................... 18 Jul 1998 21 Mar 2002 Paraguay......................... 7 Oct 1998 14 May 2001 Peru............................. 7 Dec 2000 10 Nov 2001 Philippines...................... 28 Dec 2000 Poland........................... 9 Apr 1999 12 Nov 2001 Portugal......................... 7 Oct 1998 5 Feb 2002 Republic of Koera................ 8 Mar 2000 Republic of Moldova.............. 8 Sep 2000 Romania.......................... 7 Jul 1999 11 Apr 2002 Russian Federation............... 13 Sep 2000 Saint Lucia...................... 27 Aug 1999 Samoa............................ 17 Jul 1998 San Marino....................... 18 Jul 1998 13 May 1999 Sao Tome and Principe............ 28 Dec 2000 Senegal.......................... 18 Jul 1998 2 Feb 1999 Seychelles....................... 28 Dec 2000 Sierra Leone..................... 17 Oct 1998 15 Sep 2000 Slovakia......................... 23 Dec 1998 11 Apr 2002 Slovenia......................... 7 Oct 1998 31 Dec 2001 Solomon Islands.................. 3 Dec 1998 South Africa..................... 17 Jul 1998 27 Nov 2000 Spain............................ 18 Jul 1998 24 Oct 2000 Sudan............................ 8 Sep 2000 Sweden........................... 7 Oct 1998 28 Jun 2001 Switzerland...................... 18 Jul 1998 12 Oct 2001 Syrian Arab Republic............. 29 Nov 2000 Tajikistan....................... 30 Nov 1998 5 May 2000 Thailand......................... 2 Oct 2000 The Formere Yugoslav Republic of 7 Oct 1998 6 Mar 2002 Macedonia. Trinidad and Tobago.............. 23 Mar 1999 6 Apr 1999 Uganda........................... 17 Mar 1999 Ukraine.......................... 20 Jan 2000 United Arab Emirates............. 27 Nov 2000 United Kingdom of Great Britain 30 Nov 1998 4 Oct 2001 and Northern Ireland. United Republic of Tanzania...... 29 Dec 2000 United States of America......... 31 Dec 2000 Uruguay.......................... 19 Dec 2000 Uzbekistan....................... 29 Dec 2000 Venezuela........................ 14 Oct 1998 7 Jun 2000 Yemen............................ 28 Dec 2000 Yugoslavia....................... 19 Dec 2000 6 Sep 2001 Zambia........................... 17 Jul 1998 Zimbabwe......................... 17 Jul 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\Acceptance. \2\Accession. ____________________