Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should accede to the Rome Statute and become a full member of the International Criminal Court.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution expresses that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should accede to the Rome Statute and become a full member of the International Criminal Court.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1058 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1058

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
 States should accede to the Rome Statute and become a full member of 
                   the International Criminal Court.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2022

   Ms. Omar (for herself, Ms. Jacobs of California, Mr. Carson, Ms. 
Pressley, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Bush, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, and 
 Ms. Lee of California) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
 States should accede to the Rome Statute and become a full member of 
                   the International Criminal Court.

Whereas the 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 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 dedicated offices at the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security 
        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 accede to 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, the International Criminal Court does not 
        hold jurisdiction over countries that are willing and able to prosecute 
        those accused of atrocity crimes in their 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 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 
        states 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 
the United States should accede to the Rome Statute and become a full 
member of the International Criminal Court.
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