Southern Weekend (China): International Criminal Court to begin Trying Cases on Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was passed at the international conference held in Rome on July 17, 1998. Currently 139 countries have endorsed the establishment of the ICC, and 76 of these countries have ratified this statute. On this basis, the United Nations began the establishment of the International Criminal Court on July 1, 2002. The first session was held in early September 2002 in New York, discussing the issues of the court's budget and the election of judges.

The ICC will officially start operating in 2003. This court has the right to try cases on genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, among others. However, it only holds the persons charged accountable and only exercises its judiciary power under the circumstances that the court of the country involved cannot try the case independently. This court, advocated by Canada and other countries, is regarded as a very positive sign.

- Excerpt from the "Southern Weekend," a publication of Nanfang Daily, July 18, 2002