ABSTRACT
Introduction With the conclusion of the Rome Conference on July 17, 1998, the final Statute of the International Criminal Court was completed. An overwhelming number of delegates approved the Statute and this despite the multiple concessions made by a large number of the participants. The final Statute was certainly not a perfect document and it was not approved by unanimous agreement however, the final Statute was a major accomplishment for the international community. It shows the world’s resolve to prevent violations of humanitarian law and uphold an ideal of international justice. As Philippe Kirsch, Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, and John T. Holmes, Canadian delegate to the Rome Conference, stated:
The statute is not a perfect instrument; no internationally negotiated instrument can be. It includes uneasy technical solutions, awkward formulations, and difficult compromises that fully satisfied no one. But it is a balanced instrument, furnished with enough strength to ensure the effective functioning of the court and sufficient safeguards to foster broad support among states… The establishment of an international criminal court is a historic achievement, the culmination of many decades of hope and hard work. It is our responsibility to keep in mind the raison d’etre of the court, which is the protection of victims, and to ensure its success.1
