NEW YORK, July 13 (Hina) - The U.N. Security Council on Friday voted unanimously to exempt Americans for a year from prosecution by the world's first permanent criminal court, the International Criminal Court (ICC).
NEW YORK, July 13 (Hina) - The U.N. Security Council on Friday voted
unanimously to exempt Americans for a year from prosecution by the
world's first permanent criminal court, the International Criminal
Court (ICC). #L#
The deal tells the new court in The Hague to allow a 12-month grace
period, starting July 1, 2002, before investigating or prosecuting
U.N. peacekeepers from countries that are not in support of the
tribunal "if a case arises."
It expresses the council's intention to renew the resolution in a
year.
Some 76 countries have ratified the 1998 Rome treaty, creating the
court, and 139 have signed it.
The problem appeared when the U.S., ahead of a decision on the
extension of the mandate of the U.N. mission to Bosnia, threatened
to veto U.N. peacekeeping missions demanding that its soldiers be
exempt from the prosecution by the Hague-based court.
During the two week crisis, which threatened to halt all U.N. peace
missions, the U.S. gradually backed away from its demand for
indefinite immunity from the court. Following fierce objections
from the European Union, Canada, Mexico and others the U.S. on
Wednesday settled for the 12-month protection.
But even then, at least seven council members, led by France,
opposed the new U.S. proposals as being in conflict with the
statutes of the court, prompting more revisions.
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