Philippines Joins International Criminal Court

MANILA – The Philippines was the latest country to join the International Criminal Court this past Tuesday upon depositing its instrument of ratification at UN Headquarters in New York.

Photo by BRQ Network

The Philippines brings the total number of members to 117, following the ratification of the Statute by Tunisia this past June.

“I send my heartfelt congratulations to all those in the Philippines who worked hard to make this day possible, and I hope that this historic decision will serve to dispel unfounded concerns about joining the ICC among other Asian nations,” said ICC president Sang-Hyun Song.

The Philippines Senate ratified the treaty with 17 affirmative votes and one negative.

Established by the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court was established in 1998 to try cases involving individuals charged with war crimes and other crimes against humanity.

The US is notably absent from the International Criminal Court, having signed the Rome Statute but never ratifying the document.