Event : National Consultation on ICC

A National Consultation on the ICC held in Kathmandu in November 2001. The consultation had resolved to form a national coalition of civil society groups, legal experts and other individuals, which decided to hold education and promotional campaigns to make the people aware about the ICC.

General agreement made during the consultation:

ICC and the Rome Statute should be supported regardless of whether or not USA or Japan or any other countries support ICC. It s good to try to muster their support in favour of ICC, but need not doubt the value and importance of it just because a few powerful countries do not like it. It is needed for the weak, for us, not for powerful nations. The opportunity to act, as it is available now, should not be allowed to pass. The Rome Statute should be ratified immediately so that we (Nepal) can participate in discussions relating to the estabishment of the court including the appointment of judges and officials.

The consultation made the following decisions:

• Form a National Coalition of civil society groups, legal experts and other individuals. The purpose of the coalition is to act on different platforms for ensuring the following:
• Ratification of the Rome Statute by the Government of Nepal;
• Dissemination of information on the court to all different sectors within Nepal;
• Harmonization of domestic laws with the provisions of ICC Statute;
• Successful prosecution of the crime of Aggression, War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and the crime of Genocide both nationally and internationally.