[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ z_index_tablet=”0″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,<\/b><\/p>\n
Mr. Dennis Francis,<\/b><\/p>\n
at the Informal Consultation on the Drafting of the Security Council Annual Report<\/b><\/p>\n
[As Delivered]<\/b><\/p>\n
16 January 2024<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Excellencies,<\/i><\/p>\n
Ambassador James Kariuki \u2013 Deputy PR of the United Kingdom,<\/i><\/p>\n
Distinguished Delegates,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Thank you for your attendance at today\u2019s informal meeting \u2013 which is being convened in response to the Membership\u2019s call for a more collaborative and analytical approach to the drafting of the Security Council’s annual report.<\/span><\/p>\n Our informal consultation this afternoon was prompted by recommendations received during the morning\u00a0Gayap Dialogue<\/i><\/b>, which I convened last November on \u201cthe role of the General Assembly in times of heightened crisis<\/b>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n To the Member States who raised these concerns \u2013 your important calls have been heeded, and immediately followed up by the Presidency.<\/p>\n I take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation to the United Kingdom \u2013 as the Council member responsible for drafting the introductory portion of the report \u2013 for their cooperation in facilitating today\u2019s informal consultation, as they embark on the process.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/i><\/p>\n Security Council Members \u2013 both permanent and elected \u2013 bear a special responsibility in safeguarding international peace and security.<\/p>\n And, undoubtedly, the drafting of the report of the Security Council \u2013 as the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Organ entrusted the primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security \u2013 lies within the purview of Council members.<\/span><\/p>\n But let us also be reminded that in conferring that responsibility on the Security Council, the Members of the United Nations agreed \u201cthat in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Security Council acts on their behalf\u201d.<\/p>\n Though distinct in their mandates, the General Assembly and the Security Council ultimately serve the same, single cause \u2013 the foremost tenet of our cherished Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter, \u201cto save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.\u201d<\/p>\n Thus, over the years, the clamour for more accountability and broader membership consultation is a resounding theme that echoes consistently across our engagements.<\/span><\/p>\n It is my hope that consultations such as this will mark a new beginning, as demonstration of much needed goodwill and commitment to genuine collaboration between the two principal organs \u2013 and that such a platform will be maintained in the preparation of future annual reports.<\/p>\n And I must reemphasise that today\u2019s consultation not only respects the boundaries of our mandates \u2013 but also aligns entirely with the principles of cooperation, as outlined in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Excellencies, dear colleagues,<\/i><\/p>\n The preceding years, and most recently, proved to be a testing time for the international community and the Security Council alike.<\/p>\n Challenges in fulfilling the duty to maintain international peace and security were starkly apparent \u2013 particularly in the ongoing aggression against\u00a0Ukraine,<\/b>\u00a0and in the distressing escalation of violence and deteriorating humanitarian crises in the\u00a0Middle East<\/b>, as well as in the continued rise of conflicts in other parts of the world.<\/p>\n These substantial impediments to our organization\u2019s work \u2013 which much outweigh our capacity to surmount them \u2013 underscore the urgent imperative for us to redouble our efforts in building a more peaceful and secure world, for all.<\/p>\n My monthly coordination meetings with the rotating Presidents of the Security Council, the recent briefing on Haiti, held jointly with both the Presidents of the Council and ECOSOC \u2013 and the several plenary sessions held under the veto initiative \u2013 are additional good examples of our concerted efforts at cooperation and coordination.<\/p>\n Today, we are not merely sustaining this cooperation \u2013 we are deepening it, and I eagerly look forward to the continued evolution of our partnership.<\/p>\n I urge members of the Council to maintain an open mind to the views emanating from today\u2019s meeting \u2013 the reflections and views arising from the world’s most representative body, and critical that they find resonance in the annual report.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, I intend to convene a further General Assembly plenary debate \u2013 following the finalization of the Council\u2019s report.<\/p>\n Without further ado, I now yield the floor to the United Kingdom \u2013 and, thereafter, we will hear input of Member States in this important consultation.<\/p>\n I thank you.<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Remarks by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, at the Informal Consultation on the Drafting of the Security Council Annual Report [As Delivered] 16 January 2024 Excellencies, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":361,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Remarks of the President of the General Assembly<\/p>\r\n H.E Dennis Francis<\/p>\r\n GA plenary meeting on the Monday, 30 October 2023<\/p>\r\n As Delivered<\/i><\/i><\/p>\r\nPresident of the International Criminal Court, Judge Piotr Hofmanski,<\/i><\/i>\r\n\r\nExcellencies,<\/i>\r\n\r\nDistinguished Delegates,<\/i>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/i>\r\n\r\nToday we gather to consider the annual report of the\u00a0International Criminal Court (ICC) \u2013 a\u00a0 critical pillar of the international legal order.\r\n\r\nThe ICC stands as a perennial symbol of our shared commitment to justice and humanity\u2019s greatest aspirations.\r\n\r\nIt serves as an emphatic reminder that\u00a0no one \u2013 I repeat, no one \u2013 should be exempt from accountability for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community,\u00a0and that regardless of their status, position or location, perpetrators of such crimes will invariably face the weight of justice.\r\n\r\nIndeed, when it comes to the most egregious crimes against humanity,\u00a0 accountability knows no exceptions and justifiably so.\r\n\r\nIn those grave and heinous cases \u2013 when national legal systems prove unable or unwilling to bring perpetrators to justice \u2013 the ICC must step in.\r\n\r\nAccordingly, the ICC stands as a testament to our unshakeable resolve to end impunity, and moreover, to deter others from the commission of such crimes in the future.\r\n\r\nThe Court is indeed a truly unique embodiment of our collective resolution to upholding the principles of justice and accountability.\r\n\r\nI express my\u00a0 fulsome appreciation to the Court for its diligent efforts,\u00a0 as indeed to its judges and its prosecutor, as well as to the dedicated staff who have laudibly committed themselves to the pursuit of justice \u2013 and indeed, to what is\u00a0right<\/i>.\r\n\r\nThe report highlights both the progress and the challenges faced by the ICC this year, specifically as regards the prevention and punishment of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.\r\n\r\nThese principles are fundamental to our global vision of peace and are integral to our mission of maintaining international peace and security, promoting respect for human rights, and delivering justice to those who have suffered the gravest injustices.\r\n\r\nLadies and Gentlemen,<\/i>\r\n\r\nWe must acknowledge that the Court operates in a multifaceted international landscape.\r\n\r\nIts jurisdiction spans cases where state parties have brought situations to the attention of the Court, including situations referred by the United Nations Security Council.\r\n\r\nWhile it may present a unique set of challenges \u2013this duality in referral mechanisms underscores the importance of international cooperation.\r\n\r\nDespite these challenges, the hope for universal ratification of the Rome Statute, and the Kampala amendments, serve as a profound affirmation of the ICC's enduring commitment to justice.\r\n\r\nAs more countries join and support the ICC, the bold ambition of ending impunity for the most serious crimes becomes increasingly realistic to achieve.\r\n\r\nAs we engage in this discussion, let us remember the voices of the victims, whose suffering must compel us to take meaningful action.\r\n\r\nI underscore the\u00a0need for universal cooperation with the court among Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Member States in our common pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.\r\n\r\nI call upon States to support the ICC where it faces constraints in its pursuit of justice, including predictable funding to effectively undertake its investigations and prosecutions.\r\n\r\nIn line with the fundamental principle of complementarity, States should cooperate\u00a0with the ICC and with each other in investigations and prosecutions, including by sharing information and evidence to uphold the rule of law and ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes.\r\n\r\nLet us remain committed to strengthening the international legal framework and ensuring that the ICC continues to fulfill its essential role in our global efforts to prevent impunity and injustice and to promote lasting peace.\r\n\r\nI thank you and look forward to a fruitful discussion on this important matter.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
Report of the International Criminal Court,<\/p>\r\n