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Home > ICC > PREPCOMS > SEPTEMBER 2001 > WOMEN'S CAUCUS ADVOCACY IN ICC NEGOTIATIONS |
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Day 1 of ICC Prepcom, 24 September 2001
The Eighth Session of the ICC Preparatory Commission began today, 24 September, at UN Headquarters in New York. Security is tight and there is limited access for NGO's to the UN but there has been a large showing of NGO's as well as government delegates from the capitals to this meeting, despite the events of September 11.
Today's session began with a plenary where Peru, Poland, Mexico and Switzerland announced their countries were near the final stages of ratification of the Rome Statute. As the last intervention of the plenary, Turkey made a statement urging that delegations consider how or whether to incorporate acts of terrorism within the definition of aggression which is currently being negotiated.
After the plenary session, the Working Group on the Crime of Aggression met in a formal session where Bosnia-Herzegovina, New Zealand and Romania introduced a revised joint proposal in two parts. The first dealt with the definition of the act of aggression and the second with the conditions under which the Court may exercise jurisdiction over the crime. The second part of the proposal did not leave the exclusive authority for the determination of an act of Aggression with the Security Council. Rather, in addition to a Security Council authority to determine an act of aggression, the Court would be able to refer to decisions by the International Court of Justice under its advisory as well as contentious jurisdiction.
In the afternoon, the Working Group on Financial Rules and Regulations met in a formal session. The working groups on the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities and the Rules of Procedure for the Assembly of States Parties met in informal session today.The other working groups at this session of the Preparatory Commission include the Working Group on the Relationship Agreement between the UN and the ICC; the Working Group on Principles Relating to the Headquarters Agreement between the ICC and the Host Statute and the Working Group on the First-Year Budget. Also on Tuesday, the CICC will hold a press briefing to discuss the status of the ICC and the events of September 11th.