Rome Statute
Quick Summary
The Rome Statute, adopted in 1998, is a treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC's purpose is to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of the most serious international crimes: genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. These crimes involve grave breaches of international humanitarian law, widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations, and the deliberate destruction of national, ethnical, racial, or religious groups. The ICC began operations in 2002 after the Rome Statute was ratified by 60 countries. It acts as a court of last resort, intervening only when national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute.123
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