International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent international criminal court created by treaty to contribute to ending impunity for the most serious crimes which affect the international community, such as crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It is governed by its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, signed by 124 countries. It sits in The Hague (Netherlands).

The ICC is an independent international organisation which does not belong to the system of the United Nations. It is used as a last resort. It does not intervene when a case is already being investigated or prosecuted in a national legal system unless these cases are not conducted in good faith, for example, if they have been used to shield an individual from criminal responsibility.