On 21 March 2018, under the leadership of Dip. Ronny Monge, PGA member, the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica approved in its first debate, draft law 19.665 on Cooperation and Relation with the International Criminal Court. This welcomed development is in line with Costa Rica’s public policy of strengthening the Rome Statute system, not only by showing political support in international fora but also by implementing Rome Statute dispositions in its domestic legal order, to ensure that the principles of complementarity and cooperation with the ICC, cornerstones of the Rome Statute, are fully operational under domestic law.
Indeed, on 16 March 2017, former PGA president, Dip. Margarita Stolbizer, met with the President of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, Dip. José Alberto Alfaro Jimenez and PGA members to discuss the draft legislation on cooperation with the ICC. The commitment of Costa Rica to international justice, democracy, human rights and the Rule of Law has been demonstrated by numerous initiatives of PGA Members in Parliament.
On 19 January 2017, the Parliamentary Commission on Security and Drug Trafficking of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, led by Dip. Monge, approved draft legislation n° 19.665 that creates specific mechanisms to cooperate with the ICC. This was the result of relentless advocacy and capacity building of PGA Members in Costa Rica with their parliamentary colleagues at home and in the Latin American region. Since then, PGA has been following up closely with the members of its National Group in Costa Rica to hold them accountable to the commitments, reiterated on 30-31 October 2017, during the Sub-regional Parliamentary Seminar: International Justice, a fundamental tool for sustainable development in peaceful and inclusive societies, in Montevideo.
PGA hopes that the second debate of draft bill 19.665 before the plenary will take place in the next few weeks, for a swift approval. Such achievement would once again illustrate Costa Rica’s unwavering commitment to the fight against impunity for international crimes and contribute to commemorating the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, founding instrument of the only permanent and impartial Court that has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute individuals who have committed the most heinous crimes of international concern.
