PGA Roundtable Meeting on the International Criminal Court
Kathmandu, Nepal
December 2, 2009
Agenda
Remarks of President of ICC
List of Participants
Media Report
Photo Gallery
On December 2, 2009, the PGA International
Secretariat, in association with the PGA National Group Nepal,
organized a Roundtable Meeting on the ICC in Kathmandu,
Nepal.
The objectives of this Roundtable Meeting were to:
a.
Create a greater sense of importance surrounding the desirability for
Nepal to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court, thereby affirming its commitment to the rule of law and, more
generally, addressing the current 'deficit' in countries that are State
parties to the ICC in the Asian region.
b. Promote greater understanding and awareness on the ICC among Nepalese Legislators
The Keynote Presentation was made by the President of the International Court, Judge Sang-Hyun Song.
In
his prepared remarks, Judge Song observed that the ICC has been an
interested, distant observer of the discussions in Nepal about
potentially joining the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court. Although offering encouragement in this respect, Judge Song
recognized that ratifying or acceding to the Rome Statute is a
sovereign decision for Nepal alone to make. The President of the ICC
stated that the reason for his visit to Nepal was the hope that greater
understanding of the ICC and its mandate would be constructive in
informing the debate on any decision by Nepal to join the Court. Judge
Song then proceed to provide a helpful outline summary of the main
attributes of the Court, focusing in particular on its
'complimentarity' role and its non-retroactive status, as enshrined in
the Rome Statute. In concluding, Judge Song highlighted some of the
immediate benefits for Nepal, were it to become a party to the ICC. The
ability to participate as a full ASP member in the Review Conference in
Uganda in May 2010, if it accedes to the Statute before March 2010 as
well as, more generally, the capacity to nominate Nepali nationals to
judgeship and senior prosecutor positions within the Court.
The
ICC Roundtable Meeting also heard brief presentations and expressions
of support for the ICC from a number of prominent Government Ministers,
including Hon. Pradeep Gyewali, Hon. Dr. Prakash Sahan Mahet, Minister
for Energy and Power, Dr. Minendra Rizal, Minister for Parliamentary
Affairs, Hon. Prem Bahadu Singh, Minister for Law, Hon. Minister
Leesemi Lal Kaena, Minister without Portfolio and Honl Lokendra Bahedu
Bista, Chair of the the State Restructing Committee.
Hon. Dr.
Kennedy Graham, MP of New Zealand also made a presentation where he
underscored, inter alia, that any decision by Nepal to become a party
to the Rome Statute was also an opportunity to draw a line in the sand,
to send a clear signal of commitment to the rule of law in the past as
well as a clear statement of abhorrence for what has happened in the
recent past.
Mr. Subodh Raj Pyakurel, Chairperson, INSEC in
Nepal and Mr. K. Sigdel of Amnesty International also both gave highly
informative and illuminating presentations on past and current/ongoing
efforts to seek to persuade the Constituent Assembly and the Government
of Nepal about the virtues of becoming a party to the Rome Statute of
the ICC.
Following a brief break, an interactive dialogue took
place during which a number of participants in the Roundtable Meeting
raised different questions and issues with the President of the ICC and
to which he responded with the appropriate clarifications.
In
addition to the aforementioned individuals, the participants in this
Roundtable Meeting on the ICC also included MPs from a range of
different political parties in Nepal, a representative from the Nepal
National Human Rights Commission, the National Network of Indigenous
Women as well as the Representative of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, Mr. Richard Bennett,
The
PGA International Secretariat is indebted to Hon. Prativa Rana, MP,
Chair of the PGA National Group for her able organization and
stewardship of this Rountable Meeting, to Hon. Lucky Sherpa, PGA
National Group Treasurer for her assistance in the organization of this
Meeting as well as to Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, Secretary of the PGA
National Group in Nepal for her useful interventions during the course
of the Meeting as well as her gracious Thank Your remarks at the
conclusion of the Meeting.
PGA is also grateful to the
European Commission and the Governments of the Netherlands, Sweden and
Denmark for their support for the PGA ICC Campaign and without whom
this Meeting would not have been possible. |