Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should ratify the Rome Statute and join the International Criminal Court.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution urges the United States to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, a multilateral treaty that established the court. The resolution calls on (1) the Department of State to lift visa restrictions on personnel of the court and (2) the United States to encourage non-party foreign countries to join the court.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 855 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 855

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
   States should ratify the Rome Statute and join the International 
                            Criminal Court.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2020

Ms. Omar submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
   States should ratify the Rome Statute and join the International 
                            Criminal Court.

Whereas crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes are uniquely 
        heinous and of global concern;
Whereas the United States has been a global leader in the field of international 
        criminal justice for atrocity crimes since the Nuremberg Trials;
Whereas the fundamental principles of the rule of law and accountability for 
        atrocity crimes are central to the United States values and interests at 
        home and abroad;
Whereas the United States has demonstrated its commitment to these values and 
        interests by tangibly supporting numerous domestic, international, and 
        hybrid courts for atrocity crimes, including the International Criminal 
        Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal 
        for Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary 
        Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Extraordinary African Chambers, 
        and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon;
Whereas the United States further demonstrates this commitment by being party to 
        the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of 
        Genocide, the United Nations Convention Against Torture, and the Geneva 
        Conventions;
Whereas the United States further demonstrates this commitment by the existence 
        of offices at the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland 
        Security that are dedicated to pursuing and apprehending the 
        perpetrators of atrocity crimes, as well as the existence of a dedicated 
        Office of Global Criminal Justice at the Department of State;
Whereas the United States signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal 
        Court on December 31, 2000, but has yet to ratify the statute and join 
        the Court as a full member;
Whereas the International Criminal Court is an important institution in the 
        global fight against impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, 
        and genocide;
Whereas the International Criminal Court operates on the principle of 
        complementarity and as a court of last resort;
Whereas because of these principles, cases are not admissible before the 
        International Criminal Court where they are being genuinely investigated 
        or prosecuted before domestic courts;
Whereas despite the United States not being a member of the Court, 
        administrations of both political parties have recognized its utility 
        for the national interests of the United States;
Whereas only by ratifying the Rome Statute and becoming a member of the 
        International Criminal Court can the United States credibly shape the 
        Court's activities and priorities;
Whereas the vast majority of the United States oldest and closest allies are 
        state parties to the International Criminal Court; and
Whereas it is in line with American values, interests, and proud history as a 
        global leader in the fight against impunity and for justice that the 
        United States becomes a full member of the International Criminal Court: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the United States Senate should ratify the Rome 
        Statute;
            (2) any visa restrictions put in place by the Department of 
        State on International Criminal Court personnel should be 
        lifted; and
            (3) the United States should use its voice, vote, and 
        influence in bilateral and multilateral relationships and 
        institutions to encourage foreign countries that are not party 
        to the International Criminal Court to join the International 
        Criminal Court.
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