***46th PGA Annual Forum and 4th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the Oceans, 26 - 27 March 2026, Mexico City. *** REGISTER HERE
***46th PGA Annual Forum and 4th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the Oceans, 26 - 27 March 2026, Mexico City. *** REGISTER HERE
PGA has a long and solid partnership history with parliamentarians from Costa Rica, a state party to the Rome Statute, which has also ratified the Kampala Amendments. Currently PGA’s work focuses on the full implementation of the Rome Statute and strengthening the cooperation of Costa Rica with the Court.
The Republic of Costa Rica signed the Rome Statute on 7 October 1998 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 7 June 2001.
Costa Rica was the 22nd State to ratify the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It deposited the instrument of ratification on February 5, 2015, after the plenary of the Legislative Assembly had approved the instrument of ratification on 11 November 2014.
This development was, in no small part, thanks to the endless efforts of Dip. Alfaro Zamora, who, as President of the International Relations and Foreign Trade Committee, was one of the most active promoters of the Bill to ratify the Kampala Amendments in the Committee. After the 2014 parliamentary elections, the newly elected Dip. Ronny Monge and Dip. Gonzalo Ramirez, actively supported the inclusion of the Bill as a priority item in the plenary agenda. Please click here to learn more.
The Congress of Costa Rica approved an amendment to the criminal code (Law 8272) in May 2003, which included an article referring to the crimes embodied in the international treaties that have been ratified by Costa Rica, including the Rome Statute of the ICC. A separate law including all crimes under the Rome Statute and complementarity provisions has been forwarded to Congress, but no decision on this matter has been taken so far. There is no legislation on cooperation with the ICC.
In June 29th, 2009, Bill No 16272 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. This Bill includes a definition of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and some of the general of law included in the Rome Statute.
At the 2010 Kampala Review Conference of the Rome Statute, Costa Rica pledged to work on ensuring the adoption of legislation that implements the Rome Statute at the domestic level.
As of September 2015, a Bill to amend the Criminal Code is under discussion at the parliament, however, as it includes other topics of internal nature, it is not expected to be voted soon.
Costa Rica signed the APIC on 16 December 2002 and ratified it on 28 April 2011.
Costa Rica publicly rejected to sign a Bilateral Non-Surrender Agreement with the United States, regarding the US national´s surrender to the ICC.
After the request of the PGA national group, the president of Costa Rica requested the bill on cooperation with the ICC presented by our member to be discussed at the extraordinary session that will last until April 2016
In June, 2015, PGA member, Dip. Ronny Monge submitted a bill to create a cooperation mechanism with the ICC. The will is being discussed in the Security Committee.
In March 2015, following a Parliamentary Workshop in Santo Domingo, Costa Rican MPs participating in such event, committed to the following:
PGA started working with new members of parliament given the change of the parliamentarians on May 2014 after the elections, Dip. Ronny Monge and Dip. Gonzalo Ramirez, through their participation in the Sub Regional Working Group in Uruguay in 2014 and in the Dominican Republic in 2015 to ensure the adoption of a Cooperation Bill in Parliament.
After Dip. Oscar Alfaro Zamora, former President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, participated in 2013 in the Sub-Regional Working Group and in PGA’s 35th Annual Forum, he requested PGA technical assistance in the drafting of a cooperation law that would be supported by the Government and that was presented in the Legislative Assembly by April 2014. PGA provided a customized cooperation bill based on our law model.
Dip. Ronny Monge Salas participated in the Eight session of The Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court and the Rule of Law, held in Rabat, where the role of members of Parliament in bringing political support for the international criminal justice system was the central topic.
Dip. Ronny Monge and Dip. Gonzalo Ramirez participated in the Sub-Regional Working Group on Challenges for the Effectiveness of the Rome Statute system in the Americas, held in the Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay on 27- 28 August 2014, where they reaffirmed their commitment to continue promoting the Kampala Amendments Bill.
Dip. Oscar Gerardo Alfaro Zamora, assisted the 35th Annual Parliamentary Forum held in the Parliament of Colombia, Bogotá, 9 and 10 December, 2013 and reaffirmed his willingness to present the implementation of the ICC (core crimes and cooperation) at the beginning of 2014.
Dip. Oscar Gerardo Alfaro Zamora assisted the Sub-Regional Working Group on Challenges for the Effectiveness of the Rome Statute system in the Americas, held in the Parliament of Uruguay, Montevideo, in September 16-17, 2013.
Dip. Ricardo Aime Toledo Carranza assisted PGA’s 26th Annual Forum: Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the ICC and the Rule of Law - III session, held in the Parliament of New Zealand, Wellington in December 6-7 2004.
Dip. Gerardo González Esquivel assisted the Parliamentarians and International Cooperation: 25th Anniversary Tribute & II Session of the Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the ICC and the Rule of Law, held in the United Nations Headquarters, United States, New-York in September 12-13 2003.
As a member of the Organization of American States, Costa Rica has supported the promotion of the International Criminal Court through the adoption of an annual resolution by the General Assembly of the OAS, as well as by the holding of a annual working meeting of high level within the Political and Juridical Affairs Committee of the OAS. PGA members have been invited at numerous occasions to this meeting. For more information on the work of PGA within the OAS, click here
Within the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Costa Rica was reviewed during the 19th session of the UPR in 2014 where it received 2 recommendations to fully implement the Rome Statue, which it accepted. During the UNHRC-UPR 1st cycle, Costa Rica received no recommendations related to the Rome Statute and has been a staunch promoter of the universality of the Rome Statute. It has recommended to 2 states (Guinea and the United States) to consider the ratification of the Rome Statute as a human rights objective.
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125 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Of these, 33 are African States, 19 are Asia-Pacific States, 20 are from Eastern Europe, 28 are from Latin American and Caribbean States, and 25 are from Western European and other States. |
From July 7 to 9, 2025, Parliamentarians for Global Action’s executive committee participated in the special session on the review of the amendments on the crime of aggression of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC.
PGA co-sponsored a high-level ministerial event at the UN to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute, International Justice Day, and the entry into force of the Court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.
Draft law 19.665 on Cooperation and Relation with the ICC was unanimously approved during its reading debate.
On 15 March 2018, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), participated in the 10th Special Session of the Organization of American States (OAS) on the International Criminal Court (ICC), organized by the OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs.
The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica approved draft law 19.665 on Cooperation and Relation with the International Criminal Court.
October 30-31, 2017 - Parliament of Uruguay, Montevideo
The PGA delegation was composed of Dip. Ronny Monge (Costa Rica), Dip. Luis Petri (Argentina), , and Dip. Tucapel Jiménez (Chile).
On 16 March 2017 the President of PGA met with the President of the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly.
Dip. Ronny Monge informs PGA Secretariat that the draft legislation n° 19.665 on cooperation and relation with the ICC has been approved by the Members of his Commission.
On 6 December 2016, Dip. Ronny Monge, PGA Board Member, tabled bill n°4573 which amends the Criminal Code of Costa Rica in order to implement the crimes included in the Rome Statute as well as the Kampala Amendments.
The Secretariat of PGA received a letter from the President of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica Dip. Antonio Alvarez Desanti.
News broke today that the Government of South Africa has notified the United Nations Secretary General of its intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On 28-29 September 2016, in the framework of its Parliamentary Campaign for the Effectiveness and Universality of the Rome Statute, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) organized a Parliamentary Seminar.
MPs from Costa Rica and El Salvador strategized over progressing their respective processes of domestic implementation and ratification of the Rome Statute of the ICC .
Parliamentarians celebrate the approval by the plenary of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The intense activities and discussions brought together over 25 Parliamentarians from 12 different Latin American States.
In September 2013, PGA organized a Parliamentary Seminar and a technical Roundtable in the framework of a Sub-Regional Working Group on Challenges for the Effectiveness of the Rome Statute system in the Americas.
It is imperative that the Rome Statute be ratified universally for the successful functioning of the Court. Parliamentarians should ensure that the ICC is truly universal.
Created by the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent and independent international court capable of investigating and bringing to justice individuals who commit the most serious violations of international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and human rights.
The Rome Statute defines the crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction and provides the general principles and procedures for the operation of the Court. It also outlines the cooperation obligations of its State Parties. It is imperative that the Rome Statute be ratified universally for the successful functioning of the Court. Parliamentarians should ensure that the ICC is truly universal.
Criteria and recommendations for parliamentarians to improve national nomination procedures for International Criminal Court judicial candidates.
The ICC is the first and only permanent independent court with the mandate to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for committing international crimes, namely genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Its 18 judges from around the world, elected for a nine-year term, play a key role in ensuring this expectation is lived up to through their primary mandate to render authoritative and high-quality jurisprudence and guarantee fair trials.
Therefore, the quality of the judges has fundamental importance to the performance, efficiency, and effectiveness of the ICC, which is at the heart of the long-term success of the ICC and the Rome Statute system as a whole. In this handbook, PGA sets forth specific criteria and recommendations for Parliamentarians to encourage their governments to improve national nomination procedures for ICC judicial candidates and adopt good practices and requirements to ensure these processes are fair, transparent, and merit-based. The goal of robust nomination procedures is to ensure that only candidate judges or jurists of the highest caliber make it on the ballot.
A handbook aimed at assisting States in ratifying the Kampala Amendments, helping criminalize the most serious forms of the illegal use of force.
It is our honor and privilege to present to you the Third Edition of the Handbook on the Ratification and Implementation of the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression to the Rome Statute of the ICC.
It is the product of our collaborative effort aimed at assisting States in ratifying the amendments adopted by consensus in Kampala and helping criminalize the most serious forms of the illegal use of force.