Assembly/AU/Dec.482(XXI)
Page 1
DECISION ON INTERNATIONAL JURISDICTION, JUSTICE AND
THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)2
Doc. Assembly/AU/13(XXI)
The Assembly,
1.
TAKES NOTE of the presentation made by the Republic of Uganda, on behalf of
the Eastern African Region, on International Jurisdiction, International Justice and
the International Criminal Court, as well as the recommendations made by the
Executive Council;
2.
REITERATES the African Union‟s unflinching commitment to combating impunity
and promoting democracy, the rule of law and good governance throughout the
entire continent, in conformity with its Constitutive Act;
3.
DEEPLY REGRETS that the request by the African Union (AU) to the United
Nations (UN) Security Council to defer the proceedings initiated against President
Omar Al Bashir of The Sudan and Senior State Official of Kenya, in accordance
with Article 16 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on
deferral of cases by the UN Security Council, has not been acted upon;
REAFFIRMS that Member States such as the Republic of Chad that had
welcomed President Omar Al Bashir of The Sudan did so in conformity with the
decisions of the Assembly and therefore, should not be penalized;
4.
FURTHER REAFFIRMS its previous Decisions on the activities of the ICC in
Africa, adopted in January and July 2009, January and July 2010, January and
July 2011, January and July 2012 respectively, in which it expressed its strong
conviction that the search for justice should be pursued in a way that does not
impede or jeopardize efforts aimed at promoting lasting peace and reiterated
AU‟s concern with the misuse of indictments against African leaders;
5.
STRESSES the need for international justice to be conducted in a transparent
and fair manner, in order to avoid any perception of double standard, in
conformity with the principles of international law, and EXPRESSES CONCERN
at the threat that the indictment of H.E Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and H.E William
Samoei Ruto, the President and Deputy-President of the Republic of Kenya
respectively, may pose to the on-going efforts in the promotion of peace, national
healing and reconciliation, as well as the rule of law and stability, not only in
Kenya, but also in the Region;
6.
RECALLS that, pursuant to the principle of complementarity enshrined in the
Rome Statute of the ICC, Kenya has primary jurisdiction over the investigations
and prosecutions of crimes in relation to the 2007 post-election violence, in this
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Reservation entered by the Republic of Botswana on the entire decision