Title:
A Compromise on Trials for Crimes of Aggression
Description: This is
a VOA Special English Technology Report.
See text below
Text:
Member countries of the International Criminal Court
met this month in Kampala, Uganda. They were there
to examine the court's progress for the first time.
Observers, human rights activists and civil society
groups also attended the two-week review conference.
A treaty called the Rome Statute established the
court in The Hague, in the Netherlands, in two
thousand two. The court can try people for genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity when their
own countries are unwilling or unable to.
The court was also given the right to try crimes of
aggression, although it never has. This is partly
because I.C.C. members could not agree on how to
define aggression.
In Kampala they agreed on a compromise resolution.
It defines the crime in terms of acts by a political
or military leader against another state in
violation of the United Nations Charter.
Invasions, attacks and blockades could all be tried
as acts of aggression. So could letting another
country use a state's territory for aggressive acts
against a third state.
The United Nations Security Council has the lead
responsibility for deciding that an act of
aggression has taken place. But if the council takes
no action within six months, the court might still
be able to carry out an investigation.
Critics pointed out that the agreement does not
permit the court to punish aggression by non-member
countries or their nationals. Also, members could
refuse to accept the court's right to try crimes of
aggression. I.C.C. countries also agreed to delay
any action by the court on aggression until they
re-examine the issue in seven years.
The International Criminal Court has yet to complete
its first case involving any crime. Eleven cases are
currently before the court. They include the case
against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. He is the
first head of state to be charged by the I.C.C.
while in office.
Two years ago, the court found him guilty of war
crimes in Darfur. Last year it ordered his arrest.
But Sudan rejects the ruling. The I.C.C. review
conference took place even as the president was just
sworn in for a new term.
One hundred eleven countries are parties to the Rome
Statute. The United States is not among them but
took part in Kampala as an observer. Other countries
that have not joined the court include China and
Russia.
And that's the VOA Special English Development
Report.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
