Press Release: 10 September 2010

ICC President Song meets President of the European Council, Van Rompuy

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Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the International Criminal Court; Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council © Council of the European

Today, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Sang-Hyun Song, met with Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council (EC) to discuss the results of the Review Conference of the Rome Statute, which was held in Kampala, Uganda, earlier this year. President Song thanked President Van Rompuy for the European Union’s (EU) constant, unwavering support for the ICC and was pleased to have received assurances of the EU’s continued commitment.

During the meeting, which took place in Brussels, the ICC President expressed his appreciation for the constructive role that the EU played at the Review Conference. “The key issues of cooperation, complementarity, universality and the position of victims were highlighted at the Review Conference, and I was very grateful for the concrete pledges made by the European Union and its Member States in Kampala to support the ICC and to develop the effectiveness of the Rome Statute system in all these areas”, he said.

Both Presidents agreed that one of the priorities of the continuing partnership between the EU and the ICC is to turn the promises of Kampala into reality.

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely. All 27 EU Member States are States Parties to the ICC, and the ICC and the EU concluded a cooperation and assistance agreement in 2006.

To fulfil its function, the ICC depends on the cooperation and support of the international community, in particular in the enforcements of its judicial decisions, including the pending warrants for arrest.

Videos of this meeting can be found here.

For further information please contact Sonia Robla, Chief of Public Information and Documentation Section, at +31 (0)70 515-8089 or +31 (0) 6 46 44 87 26 or at [email protected]

The ICC’s activities can also be followed through YouTube and Twitter.

Source: Presidency