On 4 December 2023, the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, delivered the keynote address, on behalf of the Secretary-General, at the opening of the twenty-second session of the Assembly of States Parties of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
In his address, the Legal Counsel expressed that the establishment of the Court was a major breakthrough in the enforcement of international criminal law, affirming that the United Nations and the Court share common values and cooperate with a sense of common purpose.
He emphasized the strong relationship between the United聽Nations and the Court and the extensive support that the United Nations has provided聽to the Court for almost two decades. He highlighted the central role played by the Office of Legal Affairs, the designated focal point, in advising on and facilitating cooperation between the United Nations and the Court.
The Legal Counsel emphasized the necessity of preserving the independence of the Court, given that judicial independence is a fundamental aspect of the international legal order. He also affirmed that the United Nations supports the Court in the face of any attempts to interfere in its work or intimidate its officials.
The Legal Counsel noted that conflicts continue to rage and that we are in a time when the demand for accountability has never been greater, expressing that the international community hopes and supports the Court in its mission of bringing impunity to an end.
