The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court received the required ratifications to enter into force on on April 11, 2002, when 10 countries deposited the instrument of ratification with the UN Secretary General, bringing the total number of ratifications to 66. The statute entered in to force on July 1st, 2002. Today nearly 100 countries have ratified the treaty.
The Bush Administration opposes the International Criminal Court because the ICC will make it more difficult to conduct war. The ICC will help to deter war. Right-wing opposition to the ICC in the United States is not wholly a result of egoism and unilateralism, it is in the interest of protecting the ability of a few to profit from war. The ICC will represent the interests of the many who suffer from war and other crimes against humanity.
While the ICC is now a reality, the United States will continue to oppose it, through such endeavors as Bush's "unsigning" our signature of support for the treaty and Trent Lott's "Hauge Invasion Act", which Bush signed on August 2nd, 2002.
My aim here is to bring you updates and action alerts regarding the ICC and opposition to the ICC in the U.S.
--René Bouchard
