[ti:A Compromise on Trials for Crimes of Aggression] [ar:Steve Ember] [al:Development Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:03.04]Development Report. [00:04.87]Member countries [00:06.37]of the International Criminal Court [00:08.95]met this month in Kampala, Uganda. [00:12.70]They were there to examine [00:14.93]the court's progress [00:16.48]for the first time. [00:17.93]Observers, human rights activists [00:21.56]and civil society groups [00:24.10]also attended [00:25.30]the two-week review conference. [00:28.38]A treaty called the Rome Statute [00:31.77]established the court [00:33.50]in The Hague, in the Netherlands, [00:36.09]in two thousand two. [00:37.84]The court can try people [00:40.43]for genocide, [00:41.46]war crimes and crimes [00:44.31]against humanity [00:45.76]when their own countries [00:47.65]are unwilling or unable to. [00:50.78]The court was also given the right [00:54.42]to try crimes of aggression, [00:57.05]although it never has. [00:59.00]This is partly [01:00.83]because I.C.C. members [01:03.43]could not agree on [01:04.91]how to define aggression. [01:07.90]In Kampala they agreed [01:11.28]on a compromise resolution. [01:13.53]It defines the crime [01:16.06]in terms of acts by a political [01:19.60]or military leader against [01:22.09]another state in violation [01:24.52]of the United Nations Charter. [01:27.60]Invasions, attacks and blockades [01:32.34]could all be tried [01:34.07]as acts of aggression. [01:36.16]So could letting another country [01:39.15]use a state's territory [01:41.54]for aggressive acts [01:43.79]against a third state. [01:46.28]The United Nations Security Council [01:49.26]has the lead responsibility [01:51.75]for deciding that an act of [01:55.09]aggression has taken place. [01:56.73]But if the council takes [01:59.62]no action within six months, [02:02.36]the court might still be able [02:05.55]to carry out an investigation. [02:08.07]Critics pointed out that [02:10.52]the agreement does not permit [02:12.71]the court to punish aggression [02:15.30]by non-member countries [02:17.29]or their nationals. Also, [02:20.67]members could refuse to accept [02:23.56]the court's right [02:25.19]to try crimes of aggression. [02:27.84]I.C.C. countries also agreed [02:31.46]to delay any action by the court [02:34.91]on aggression until they re-examine [02:38.09]the issue in seven years. [02:40.62]The International Criminal Court [02:44.26]has yet to complete its first case [02:47.79]involving any crime. [02:50.04]Eleven cases are currently [02:53.36]before the court. [02:54.48]They include the case [02:56.41]against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. [03:00.94]He is the first head of state [03:04.07]to be charged by the I.C.C. [03:06.62]while in office. [03:08.65]Two years ago, the court [03:11.83]found him guilty of war crimes in Darfur. [03:14.78]Last year it ordered his arrest. [03:17.83]But Sudan rejects the ruling. [03:21.05]The I.C.C. review conference [03:23.94]took place even as the president [03:26.48]was just sworn in for a new term. [03:29.77]One hundred eleven countries [03:32.50]are parties to the Rome Statute. [03:34.98]The United States is not [03:37.47]among them but took part [03:39.62]in Kampala as an observer. [03:42.15]Other countries [03:44.00]that have not joined the court [03:45.53]include China and Russia. [03:47.92]And that's the VOA Special English [03:51.81]Development Report, [03:53.31]written by June Simms. [03:55.09]I'm Steve Ember.