Government type:
Parliamentary republic
Objectives:
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Implementation of the Rome Statute
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Accession to APIC
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Ratification of Kampala Amendments
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Signing of Voluntary agreements on cooperation with the ICC
Status
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Rome Statute: Ratified on 12 November 2001
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APIC: not signed or acceded
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Amendments to the RS: none
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BNSA: Signed on 26 February 2003. Entered into force on 4 December 2003
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Voluntary Agreements with the ICC: none
Status of Implementation of the Rome Statute
None.
Background:
As noted above regarding lack of human resources being one the obstacles towards further action, the main barrier was identified the onerous reporting requirement - unsurprising for a country of approximately 10.300 inhabitants . To address these issues, the UN and other IGOs/NGOs have led several capacity building workshops throughout the region (Nauru, Solomon Islands, etc). However, as helpful as these may be, workshops alone cannot compensate for a dearth of human resources to keep up with international commitments.
Potential obstacles towards full implementation of the Rome Statute and ratification of the Kampala Amendments
Rather than a lack of political will, the fundamental impediment towards ratification of the Kampala Amendments or full implementation of the RS appears to be a lack of capacity.
Another political issue that has begun to surface as a potential crime against humanity is the controversy regarding the plight of >refugees and migrant workers in Australian detention centers on Nauru.
In February 2017, the Global Legal Action Network and the Stanford International Human Rights Clinic submitted a 108-page dossier to the ICC calling for an investigation into possible “crimes against humanity committed by individual and corporate actors.”
The primary target of this investigation would more likely fall on Australia; however, given Nauru’s dependence on Australia and the quid pro quo status of the detention center vis-a-vis aid, Nauru is likely to oppose such an action Nauru nationals may fall into the category of complicit or accessory perpetrators. All of these circumstances could jeopardize further action on the RS system, such as ratification of the Kampala Amendments.
