General Assembly
38th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 71st Session
Senegal’s representative emphasized that strengthening the relationship between Africa and the Court should be of the highest priority, especially given the recent decisions of several African nations to withdraw from the Rome Statute. “Senegal still hopes that a dynamic consensus could be found so that Africa could play a major role against impunity,” he said, stressing that the needs of victims could not be disregarded in the “era of accountability”.
Burundi’s representative said the Court had not lived up to its core principles of impartiality and independence. The African people had found that the judicial body was in the hands of a number of powerful countries, he said. As one of the three countries to recently withdraw from the Rome Statute, Burundi pursued principles of impartiality and non-politicization of international principles. As long as those principles were not adhered to and partiality prevailed, the Court would be flawed.
Also speaking were the representatives of Nigeria, Brazil, Costa Rica, Slovenia, Bangladesh, United Republic of Tanzania, Mexico, China, Netherlands, Argentina, Spain, Republic of Korea, Kenya, Ukraine, Venezuela and the Russian Federation.
The representatives of Ukraine, Syria and Georgia exercised their right of reply.