ABSTRACT
The International Criminal Court was established by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which was adopted by 120 states participating in a United Nations (UN) Diplomatic Conference in July 1998. The Court is a permanent, independent body, in relationship with the UN that is mandated to hold individuals accountable for orchestrating the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, such as crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and international aggression. The Court has established a Trust Fund for Victims to finance mandated reparations, and other assistance, for victims of crimes under the jurisdiction of the Court. In January 2017 the 28th African Union Assembly adopted a non-binding decision that supported a strategy of collective African withdrawal from the Court. Various diplomatic efforts have subsequently been undertaken with a view to strengthening relations between the Court and Africa. The Residual Special Court, based in The Hague, was authorized to oversee witness protection and sentencing appeals.
