Attorney General's address to the International Criminal Court
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-04)

The Attorney General delivered the UK National Statement at the International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties 2025

Madame President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

I welcome this opportunity to address the Assembly on behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom.

Madame President,

The United Kingdom is a resolute supporter of international law, accountability and the International Criminal Court.

More than two decades ago, States took a historic step in creating the International Criminal Court under the Rome Statute. In so doing, we affirmed the principle that the gravest crimes of concern to the international community must not go unpunished. The Court stands as a unique institution in international law: a permanent international criminal court of last resort, seeking justice and accountability for victims.

The UK is proud of its role in the Court’s inception. Its existence is a beacon of hope for victims, and a powerful reminder to perpetrators of the most serious international crimes, that they cannot act with impunity.

Madame President,

The UK commends the progress the Court has made in 2025 in delivering its mandate, in the face of unprecedented challenges. And we thank you, Madame President, for your leadership of the Assembly over the last year.

The Court’s successes include securing the first conviction in the Court’s history for gender persecution as a crime against humanity, marking a hugely important milestone in efforts to tackle and prosecute these crimes against women and girls. This, as well as the arrest warrants issued for two Taliban leaders for persecution of women and girls, is a profoundly important signal that the intolerable suffering experienced in so many conflict zones, yet often untried in courts of law, will no longer be the case.

This further reinforces, that at its heart, the International Criminal Court is a court for victims. Since its establishment, over eighteen thousand victims have participated in cases before the Court and through the Trust Fund for Victims, thousands have received reparations and support in places scarred by atrocity. We must continue to safeguard the right of victims to participate and receive protection, as enshrined in the Rome Statute, and continue to deliver justice on their behalf.

Madame President,

We congratulate Ukraine on becoming a State Party on the first of January this year. We will remain resolute in our support to Ukraine for seeking international justice for the atrocity crimes committed since Russia’s illegal invasion. We regret that four States Parties have announced their intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute. We urge them to reconsider.

The UK stands by the principles on which the Court was founded, including that of universality. The strength and legitimacy of the Court also relies on consensus. At the Special Session in New York this summer, we agreed by consensus to consider how to strengthen the Court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. The UK remains committed to engaging constructively with States Parties on this issue, recognising the diversity of views on exercising that jurisdiction.

Madame President,

As we approach the Court’s 25th year, we should be honest that our project faces unprecedented challenges. We should not shirk away from finding pragmatic ways to tackle these challenges and to do so in an open minded and collaborative manner.

The UK reaffirms its unwavering support for the Court’s independence and impartiality. We have been clear that we are concerned about the sanctions imposed in connection with the ICC’s work and the impact on individuals and the Court.

It is incumbent upon all of us to help the ICC navigate its way through this crisis, to ensure the Court remains an effective and sustainable judicial institution. We owe it to the ICC - and to those who work tirelessly to deliver its mandate - to do so. Engagement and dialogue with non-States Parties to understand their views is essential if we are to achieve this. The UK encourages all States Parties to work collaboratively and constructively in so doing.

Madame President,

We expect progress and transparency from the Court, including on internal oversight. We expect the Court to uphold the highest standards by fostering a workplace culture based on integrity and accountability, and by investigating and addressing any and all allegations effectively, seriously and decisively.

Finally, Madame President,

The United Kingdom will not waver in our determination to see justice delivered for victims of the gravest crimes, nor in our resolve to end impunity. At this critical juncture, we stand resolute in our support for the Court, for its long-term future, the Rome Statute, and for the principle that justice is a universal duty.

Thank you.