In speaking about the Office of the Prosecutor’s (OTP) experience in respecting complementarity at the International Criminal Court ‐ Pacific Outreach Roundtable in Sydney, the Prosecutor-elect, Ms Fatou Bensouda stated that the Court will only do a few cases. She emphasized that conducting these cases according to the highest international legal standards is important.
Ms Bensouda stated that as those primary responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crimes defined in the Rome Statute, States Parties have a fundamental role to play within the Rome Statute system. States and national authorities are the first enforcers of the Rome Statute system. She added that throughout its activities, the OTP has always endeavored to work in full respect with national proceedings, promoting understanding, coordination and exchanges when applicable, and only seeking to intervene as a measure of last resort.
Ms Bensouda encouraged those who are considering ratification and domestication into their legal systems in the Pacific region and added that the Court is a back‐up system.
Events of this kind play an important role in fostering the dialogue between organs of the Court and States from the Asia-Pacific region and eventually ensuring that more States from this region become a member to the ICC Statute.
For the full text of the speech by the Prosecutor-elect, Mrs Bensouda see here.
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