President of the International Criminal Court (ICC)Chile Eboe-Osuji has described President Muhammadu Buhari as one of the most highly respected African statesmen.
In his 2017/2018 annual report speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York earlier in the week, Eboe-Osuji quoted three tomes one of Buhari’s speeches to the UN Assembly.
The ICC president was making a case for the Court as it marks the 20th Anniversary of the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, fondly called the Rome Statute”.
“[The]Mindful[ness] that during [the 20th ] century [in which the Rome Statute was adopted] millions of children, women and men ha[d] been victims of unimaginable atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity,” Eboe-Osuji said.
Buttressing his point, he said, “One of the most highly respected African Statesmen of our time answered that question in a very straightforward way.
“As part of his own reflections during the 20th Anniversary of the Rome Statute in July, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari answered that question in these words:
‘With the alarming proliferation of the most serious crimes around the world, the ICC, and all that it stands for, is now needed more than ever, in ways that were unforeseeable to its founders.
‘The ICC may have been created at a time of optimism that it would not need to be utilized frequently, but, unfortunately, the increase in international crimes has only increased the Court’s relevance.’”
According to Eboe-Osuji, the ICC is one real structure that the world has now to try those who would commit international crimes, and prevent such in the future.
To establish that, he quoted Buhari again.
“In this regard, I cannot but invoke the following words of Nigeria’s President Buhari on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Rome Statute: ‘The Rome Statute created more than a court; it created the outline for a system of justice for horrific crimes rooted first in national courts doing their job, and where they fail to do so, the ICC stepping in only as the “court of the last resort”.’”
As he pleaded with the UNGA to strengthen the ICC, the 56-year-old borrowed from Buhari for the last time.
“I urge you to make it stronger in every way that you can. DO NOT allow it to be weakened. Here, again, I quote President Buhari one more time: ‘I urge all States that have not yet done so to, as a matter of deliberate State policy, accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court so that it can become a universal treaty.’”
The Rome Statute, which established the ICC, was adopted on the eve of Mandela’s birthday 20 years ago.
But the US under President Donald Trump is not ready to recognise or continue to fund it.