The current president of the assembly of states parties to the International Criminal Court and seven of her predecessors wrote in a joint opinion article published Thursday that attempts to diplomatically isolate the institution threaten not only the court itself but global confidence in international law. The article appeared on the website of Just Security, a publication focused on law and policy. Baivei Kaukorianto, the current head of the assembly of states parties, the court's governing body, was among the authors.
The authors wrote that diplomatic isolation efforts—whether by encouraging member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the founding treaty, or urging non-members to join measures aimed at weakening the court—are designed to undermine "not only one institution, but confidence in the international legal system itself." They characterized the choice as between "a world based on the rule of law and a world where power determines what is right."
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on judges and officials at the International Criminal Court, including its president, and has pressed member states to withdraw from the institution. The campaign has prompted lawsuits and raised concerns among some U.S. allies.
