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Search underway for new ICC prosecutor

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 7 – The International Criminal Court has formally commenced the search for a successor to the current Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo.

A statement posted on the ICC website on Monday said a committee charged with the responsibility of nominating a successor of Mr Ocampo had held its first meeting.

Mr Ocampo\’s term expires in June 2012.

"The Search Committee which operates from New York and is mandated to facilitate the nomination and election by consensus of the next Prosecutor, held its first meeting," the statement said.

Over the next few months, the statement said, the Committee will informally receive expressions of interest from individuals, States, regional and international organizations, civil society, professional associations and other sources.

"The Search Committee will also actively identify and informally approach individuals who may satisfy the applicable criteria, in particular those contained in article 42 of the Rome Statute," the statement added.

The search committee is composed of five members, one from each regional group, namely who include Baso Sangqu, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations (African Group), Prince Zeid Ra\’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations (Asian Group) (Coordinator), Mr Miloš Koterec, Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the United Nations (Eastern European Group) (Deputy Coordinator).

Others are Joel Hernández, Legal Adviser of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (Group of Latin American and Caribbean States) and Sir Daniel Bethlehem, QC, Legal Adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom (Western European and Others Group).

"The Search Committee will review the expressions of interest and produce a shortlist of at least three suitable candidates, where possible for consideration by the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties," the statement said.

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The next Prosecutor will be elected by the 10th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Interested candidates or those wishing to recommend the names of qualified individuals are requested to contact the Search Committee through the Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties through the Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

In December, Mr Ocampo presented cases against six Kenyans whom he wants indicted for organising or financing the post election violence of 2008 which claimed the lives of some 1,500 people and displaced 650,000 others.

In December 2010, Mr Ocampo presented to the pre-trial chamber cases against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura and former police commissioner Hussein Ali.

Others Mr Ocampo wants indicted are suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto and Tinderet Member of Parliament Henry Kosgey who stepped aside from the Industrialisation Ministry to face abuse of office charges locally.

KASS Fm radio Presenter Joshua arap Sang is the only civilian in the list of Ocampo Six.

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