EU Calls for Protection of the ICC

Istanbul (ANTARA) - The European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, called for the protection of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday (21/9).

She stated that the institution is under “extraordinary pressure” and warned that the pressure exerted on the court and its judges raises questions regarding the commitment to the international legal order.

“First, we must maintain the existing mechanisms for enforcing International Humanitarian Law, both domestic and international courts, such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC),” said Kallas during a side event at the UN General Assembly discussing humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law.

According to Kallas, accountability is key to the enforcement of international humanitarian law.

“Contrary to what should happen, the ICC is now under extraordinary pressure,” Kallas asserted.

She stated that the pressure on the ICC and its judges does not only affect the institution itself but also raises questions about the commitment to the international legal order established after World War II.

“And let us not forget, the ICC is the world’s promise that the victims of the most serious international crimes will not be forgotten simply because accountability is deemed politically inconvenient. We must protect it,” she emphasised.

She outlined three ways to strengthen accountability: by maintaining existing judicial mechanisms, creating new mechanisms if existing ones are inadequate, and ensuring that legal cases can be well-structured.

Kallas cited the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, as well as the tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, as examples of mechanisms established to achieve accountability.

She also highlighted EU-supported efforts to document alleged war crimes in Syria and UN-led investigations regarding the situation in Afghanistan.

Regarding Gaza, Kallas stated that it is crucial to preserve evidence of potential war crimes as debris clearance efforts begin.

“Whether in Syria, Afghanistan, Gaza, or any conflict region, accountability must not be applied selectively; otherwise, the credibility of the entire system will be called into question,” she asserted.