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Overview
About the Court
Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC convened a status conference to discuss matters related to the investigation in the Democratic Republic of Congo in March 2005. Credit: ICC-CPI.
About the Court
The International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent international judicial body capable of trying individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so.

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court entered into force on 1 July 2002. The ICC represents one of the most significant opportunities the world has had to prevent or drastically reduce the deaths and devastation caused by conflict. Since 2002, much progress has been achieved in the establishment of the Court which is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. With all of the senior officials of the Court in place, the receipt of one Security Council and three State referrals, and the formal launch of investigations, the Court is now a fully-functional judicial institution.

This section is intended to provide a basic overview of the ICC, including: regular updates on developments at the Court and associated key activities of the Judges, Prosecutor and Registrar; background to the Court’s structure and officials; updates on the work of the Assembly of States Parties; background to and developments regarding ICC cases and situations; and an overview of the history of the Court.

Updates and Developments
This section provides regular updates on developments at the ICC, including: the key activities of the Judges, Prosecutor and Registrar, information about recent decisions, hearings, orders and statements, visits of high level officials to the Court, ICC field missions and more.

ICC Cases and Situations
The Court’s work is shaped by the cases and situations under investigation. This section provides an overview of the background, key developments, and documentation related to individual ICC cases and situations. Information about ICC developments in other countries can also be found here.

Please note that the CICC will not take a position on potential or current situations before the Court. The Coalition, however, will continue to provide the most up-to-date information about the ICC.

ICC Structure and Officials
As the first judicial institution of its kind, the structure of the International Criminal Court reflects it unique mandate to deal with the most serious crimes of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide on a permanent basis. This section explains how the Court is organized and provides an introduction to key ICC officials.

Assembly of Parties
The Assembly of State Parties (ASP) is the Court’s governing body and is comprised of the States that have ratified the Rome Statute. The Assembly meets at least once a year to discuss and decide on issues that are central to the Court, such as the election of judges and prosecutors, the adoption of the ICC's budget and cooperation between States and the Court. This section provides information on the Assembly’s key decisions and work, to date.

History of the ICC
This section provides an overview of the history of the Court. From the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court, held in Rome in 1998, to the entry into force of the Statute in 2002 and the first Security Council referral to the ICC in 2005, a great deal has been achieved.
Cicc International Co-Secretariats
Anna Paulownastraat 103, 2518BC, The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: +31-70-363-4484 | Fax: +31-70-364-0259
[email protected]
 
708 Third Ave, 24th Floor, NY, NY USA 10017
Tel: 1 (212) 687-2176 | Fax: 1 (212) 599-1332
[email protected]