Zambia not among countries under ICC investigations, ICC Prosecutor Mrs Fatou Bensouda assures Justice Minister Given Lubinda

Justice Minister Given Lubinda at ICC 18th Session Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute Netherlands

Her Excellency Prof. Esther Munalula NKANDU Head of Mission Brussels

PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Dan Haag, Netherlands

Tuesday, 3rd December 2019

ZAMBIA NOT AMONG COUNTRIES UNDER ICC INVESTIGATIONS

Zambia has continued to uphold and align itself with the principles and values of the International Criminal Court- ICC with regards to end impunity.

This came to light, when Prosecutor of the ICC Mrs Fatou Bensouda announced the names of countries under the Court’s investigation to the on-going 18th Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, in the Netherlands.

Among the countries named are Nigeria, Guinea, Ukraine, Venezuela, Columbia, Libya, Darfur, Georgia, Philippines and Palestines among others.

Although Mrs Bensouda could not give details of the progress on the investigation, she assured the assembly that works on the ongoing preliminary investigations have significantly advanced to a stage where final decisions are likely to be reached in the near future.

The Prosecutor also underscored some of the major achievements of the ICC in previous year.

She however bemoaned the increasing and unwarranted attacks on the Court and further called for concerted efforts among member states to protect and support the Court against such attacks that are meant to undermine its credibility.

And speaking at the same event, Minister of Justice, Hon. Given Lubinda has reaffirmed government’s commitment to protect and preserve the integrity of the Judiciary by allowing it to operate efficiently and independent of interference.

The Minister says government remains resolute to upholding and defending the principles and values of the Court as enshrined in the Rome Statute.

He also reiterates that the Zambian government remains steadfast in advocating for the universality and implementation of the Rome Statute towards the fight against impunity.

“Zambia remains committed to upholding and defending the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute as well as preserving it’s integrity. Zambia also upholds the fight of the ICC, intended to put and end to impunity of perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to international law and the international community as a whole and thus commits to contribute to the prevention of such crimes.

Mr President, as you may be aware, the African Union at it’s Ordinary session through decision EX.CL/1006(XXX) called for the mass withdrawal of African states from the Rome Statute. It was however left to the individual member states to decide whether to remain or to pull out of the ICC. In this regard, the President of Zambia Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu being a Democrat and running a democratic government put the question whether to remain a member state of the Rome Statute or not to the public debate. We therefore conducted a consultative process in 2017 to ascertain the views of the populance on whether or not Zambia should remain party to the Rome Statute.

Mr President, I have the pleasure of announcing to this assembly of states parties that the citizenry of Zambia voted to remain party to the Rome Statute. With the reaffirmation of the population, the government of Zambia is fully committed to unreservedly cooperate with the ICC”, Hon. Lubinda explains.

The Assembly of States Parties – ASP is the management oversight and legislative body of the International Criminal Court, which is composed of representatives of the States that have ratified and acceded to the Rome Statute.

The ASP meets in full plenary once a year to discuss and decide upon matters key to the future functioning of the ICC.

Issued By:
Phyllis Chilekwa (Ms)
First Secretary – Press and Public Relations
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Brussels – Belgium

PIX CAPTION: Justice Minister, Hon. Given Lubinda with Prosecutor of the ICC Mrs Fatou Bensouda; and Zambia’s Ambassador to Belgium and plenipotentiary to The Netherlands, Prof. Esther Munalula Nkandu