“It is also instructive that our colleagues in New York from other continents are watching to see if we shall follow on the actions taken by our Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa/FILE
In a letter dated May 30, Kenya’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN, Macharia Kamau, wrote to the Vice-President of the Bureau of the Assembly of the States Parties (ASP) Ken Kanda (Ghana) to convene a meeting to follow up on the way forward on the outcome of the last month’s 21st Ordinary Summit of the Head of States and Government whose key decision was a resolution relating to Africa’s position on the ICC.
“My delegation strongly feels that, in parallel to these actions in News York, it is important that an emergency session or meeting of the ASP to the Rome Statute is convened by the President of the Bureau to move this agenda forward as soon as possible,” said Kamau.
“It is also instructive that our colleagues in New York from other continents are watching to see if we shall follow on the actions taken by our Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.”
The Heads of State attending the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last month passed a resolution urging the ICC to defer crime against humanity cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy President William Ruto back to Kenya.
My delegation strongly feels that, in parallel to these actions in News York, it is important that an emergency session or meeting of the ASP to the Rome Statute is convened by the President of the Bureau to move this agenda forward as soon as possible – Kamau.
The AU leaders said Kenya has a credible judiciary trusted by all Kenyans capable of hearing and determining the cases.
African Heads of States argued that Kenya should be allowed to solve its problems.
In his letter to the UN, Kamau also stressed that there is an urgent need for the African member states in New York to convene a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the content of the Resolution. Africa is represented on the bureau by Burkina Faso, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
“I also suggest that in consultation with the Ambassador Tete and the African Group Chair of the Month of June this meeting can be convened to discuss the key outcomes of the Summit and especially the one on the ICC mutatis mutandis the planning of the 50th Anniversary celebrations. I am counting your support in this meeting in order for us to move this agenda forward,” he said.
The Assembly of States Parties is the ICC’s management oversight and legislative body and is composed of 18 representatives of the States which have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute.
As of 1 May 2013, 122 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC.
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