GA / SUDAN ICC

Addressing the GA following on the latest report of the ICC, Sudan's UN mission Counsellar Amanuel Yoanes Ajawin says "it is precisely the impartial position of the International Criminal Court, politicization and double standard under the disguise of administering international justice, which made my country adamant not to co-operate with it." UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:22
• Production Date: 23 November 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT - ICC
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U101123b

Description

STORY: GA / SUDAN ICC
TRT: 1.22
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 NOVEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT 2010, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations

23 NOVEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
3. Wide shot, audience
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Amanuel Yoanes Ajawin, Counsellor Sudan Mission, United Nations:
“It is without a shadow of doubt that politicization of the concept of justice will eventually lead to militarization of international relations and disregard for multilateralism along with the erosion of commitment towards the UN Charter and the cardinal principles of international law.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Amanuel Yoanes Ajawin, Counsellor Sudan Mission, United Nations:
“The ICC Prosecutor has become a law to himself and even interpret the provisions of the Rome Statute as he wishes, without due consideration to norms and practices of international law. It is precisely this unchecked balance on the prosecutor that the ICC is I danger of substituting the tyrant Government for that of judges.”
7. Wide shot, resolution being adopted
10. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall

Storyline

Preceding the adoption of the International Criminal Courts (ICC) report today at the United Nations General Assembly, Amanuel Yoanes Ajawin Counsellor for the Sudanese mission in New York disassociated his delegation from the report of the ICC.

After studying the report which covered the period of 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010 on which the resolution was based, Ajawin expressed his delegations disappointment over what he called the “distorted information” regarding his country.

He said they also found the “unfounded allegations” to be “baseless and lacking any strong legal justifications and evidence.”

Ajawin added that it was precisely the “impartial position” of the ICC that has made his country adamant “not to co-operate with it.”

Ajawin noted that the African Union (AU) had “explicitly” decided that AU Member States would not cooperate with the arrest and surrender of President Omar Al Bashir of the Sudan, because of the ICC not being a legally neutral institution, but instead heavily politicized one.

“It is without a shadow of doubt that politicization of the concept of justice will eventually lead to militarization of international relations and disregard for multilateralism along with the erosion of commitment towards the UN Charter and the cardinal principles of international law,” Ajawin said.

Ajawin stressed that the ICC statement regarding the exercise of its jurisdiction upon an acting Head of State when not obtaining cooperation from the concerned state, clearly demonstrated the excessive and abusive powers invested in the prosecutor of the Court.

“The ICC Prosecutor has become a law to himself and even interpret the provisions of the Rome Statute as he wishes, without due consideration to norms and practices of international law. It is precisely this unchecked balance on the prosecutor that the ICC is I danger of substituting the tyrant Government for that of judges,” Ajawin said

The ICC had issued arrest war crimes warrants for three members of the Sudanese regime, including President Omar al-Bashir, former humanitarian affairs minister Ahmed Haroun and allied Janjaweed militia leader Ali Abdul Rahman, commonly known as Ali Kushayb. Bashir has been charged with genocide.
Presenting the ICC’s report last 28 October to the General Assembly, the President of the International Criminal Court, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, urged the international community to intensify efforts to arrest eight people sought for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, including Sudan's president Omar Al Bashir, and four commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army.

The judge had also cited Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's earlier visits to Chad and Kenya, which are parties to the Rome Statute that established the court, and the failure of both governments to arrest him despite outstanding warrants for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.