Zelenskyy proposes to Rada to ratify Rome Statute

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The corresponding bill (No. 0285) was registered in the Rada on August 15, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

The bill provides for confirmation of Ukraine's recognition of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, starting from November 21, 2013, as well as recognition of the jurisdiction of the ICC over the crime of aggression, starting from July 17, 2018 (the moment of entry into force of the amendments adopted by the Assembly of member states of the Rome Statute).

It is assumed that this law enters into force simultaneously with the entry into force of the law on amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Ukraine in connection with the ratification of the Rome Statute.

In June, the Office of the President reported on the holding of an interdepartmental meeting on the ratification of the Rome Statute, at which the need to ratify the Rome Statute was discussed, in particular, in order to increase Ukraine's efforts to prosecute russian criminals, strengthen Ukraine's diplomatic position, as well as the implementation of European integration and bilateral agreements.

At the time, it was noted that the participants had reached an agreement on the absence of risks associated with ratification, since Ukraine had already recognized the court's jurisdiction.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Ukraine signed the Rome Statute on January 20, 2000, but has not yet ratified it.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court announced a decision to issue a warrant for the arrest of russian president vladimir putin and the russian Commissioner for Children Maria Lvova-Belova, who are suspected of committing the war crime of illegally deporting children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to russia at least since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation into Ukraine.

At that time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, noted that Ukraine should ratify the Rome Statute, on the basis of which the International Criminal Court operates. Kuleba noted that today Ukraine, although it has not ratified the Rome Statute, fully recognizes the jurisdiction of the ICC.

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