EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Report of the International Criminal Court
– CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY –
President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* as well as Andorra, Monaco, and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
We would like to thank President Akane for presenting the annual report on the activities of the International Criminal Court, covering the period from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026. We regret that President Akane could not attend this meeting in person. We can assure her that the fact that she had to address us remotely today in no way diminishes the importance of her clear message. We commend President Akane, the judges, the Office of the Prosecutor, the Registry and all ICC staff for their tireless dedication, and we reaffirm our unwavering support for the Rome Statute and for the Court’s independence and integrity.
The report shows that, even amid an increasingly challenging environment, the Court continues to deliver on its mandate and to make tangible progress in the global fight to end impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community across the world. The list of judicial and prosecutorial activities detailed in the ICC report spans across four continents, providing updates on its activities concerning situations in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic, Darfur, Kenya, Libya, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Georgia, Burundi, Afghanistan, Bangladesh/Myanmar, Palestine, the Philippines, Venezuela, Ukraine and Lithuania/Belarus.
This long list confirms the widespread need for global accountability.
It highlights the critical role that the Court plays in international justice.
It also shows that the Court pursues no political objective and it endeavours to carry out its mandate independently and impartially, with no agenda other than to end impunity and deliver justice and reparation for victims. We welcome the continued progress in all ongoing investigations, the landmark first judgment arising from a referral by the Security Council, and the remarkable participation of more than 23.500 victims across different cases, reflecting the Court’s steadfast commitment to placing the affected communities at the heart of its work.
President,
The ICC remains the cornerstone of the international fight against impunity: it holds individuals accountable for the most serious international crimes and helps deliver justice to the victims. The Court does not target sovereign states, nor does it constitute a threat to their sovereignty. Instead, under the principle of complementarity and within the limits of its jurisdiction, the Court only steps in where a State is unwilling or unable genuinely to investigate or prosecute the crimes itself.
It is our firm belief that a world without international law is unstable, unjust and inhumane. International law and international institutions are essential to build a more peaceful world: a world governed by diplomacy, legal mechanisms and dialogue, rather than by threats, violence and warfare.
We are at a time of significant challenges for the international legal system, including sanctions and retaliatory extradition requests against the institutions and judges charged with upholding the law.
More than ever, we have a duty to protect international law and fundamental human rights and hold to account those responsible for their gravest violations.
The Court’s independence, impartiality and integrity must be preserved and protected at all times, and the Court must be able to pursue its investigations and judicial proceedings free from any pressure, intimidation or interference.
We are concerned by and deeply regret the continued measures against the Court, its elected officials, its staff and those cooperating with it, including those imposed recently against the Court itself.
We condemn these measures, urge their reversal and reiterate our call for the immediate lifting of all sanctions targeting the Court and its functioning, its elected officials and all those cooperating with the Court. Such measures undermine the international legal order and risk having a chilling effect on investigations, victims, witnesses and the civil society actors who work with the Court.
We note, however, that the decision to delay the full effect of the latest measures creates space for diplomacy, with a view to securing the prompt reversal of those measures and preventing any further measures that seek to undermine the independence and integrity of the Court.
The EU and its Member States, which are all State Parties to the Rome Statute, stand united behind the Court and will continue to work with partners on concrete measures to protect it and preserve its functioning. We underline, in particular, the importance of unimpeded access to financial and other services for the Court.
President,
Effective cooperation by States remains essential for the Court to fulfil its mandate. We call on all States Parties to redouble efforts to identify new avenues for strengthened cooperation with the Court, including as regards the prompt execution of the outstanding arrest warrants. We also call on the Security Council to make full use of its power under the Rome Statute to refer situations to the Court where appropriate and on its permanent members to refrain from using their veto in situations of mass atrocities. We also stress the importance of the Court having the resources commensurate with its workload, and confirm the EU’s continued support, including to the Trust Fund for Victims and to the Court’s survivor-centred approach to sexual and gender-based crimes.
The universality of the Rome Statute remains a priority for us. We regret that, over the past months, some State Parties have taken steps to withdraw from the Rome Statute. We invite them to reconsider, and we recall that, pending the entry into effect of any withdrawal, they remain bound by their obligations under the Statute, including on cooperation. We call on all States that have not yet done so to ratify the Rome Statute and the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the ICC and we continue to encourage their widest possible ratification and effective national implementation.
The authority of the Court also rests on its own commitment to the highest standards of accountability, integrity and transparency. In this regard, we take note of the decision of the Assembly of States Parties of 24 July 2026, pursuant to Article 46 of the Rome Statute, following the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings concerning the former Prosecutor. We trust that this outcome will allow to turn the page. We wish the Office of the Prosecutor’s leadership every success in its important work and reaffirm our full confidence in it.
President,
In closing, as President Akane stated in her video address on 9 October 2026, “We’ll be judged by history for the choices we make today”.
For the European Union and its Member States the choice could not be clearer. We reaffirm our resolute and unwavering support for the International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute.
We will continue to support the Court politically, diplomatically and financially, and to stand by victims everywhere in the pursuit of justice and accountability. We encourage the international community to join this common effort to safeguard an independent and truly universal International Criminal Court that can hold the perpetrators of the gravest international crimes accountable for their actions and help secure justice for the victims.
In this context, the award of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay, a former judge at the International Criminal Court, is particularly timely. Her commitment to universal legal principles and her efforts to promote peace and international law stand as witness to courage, vision and determination. Her work is a precious compass for all of us in the current challenging times.
Thank you.