ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 15 March 2017 in New York © UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
ICC President meets with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York
Yesterday, 15 March 2017, the President of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”), Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr António Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York. It was their first meeting since Mr Guterres was appointed as Secretary-General.
During the meeting, President Fernández expressed the Court’s appreciation for the UN’s strong and principled support: “I want to thank you for the statements of support which you have made about the ICC and for the UN’s continuing cooperation on an operational level, which is essential to the effectiveness of the Court’s work.”
Mr Guterres highlighted that two of the UN’s main goals, those of peace and justice, are directly linked to the work of the Court. He stated “both the Court and the United Nations strive to maintain international peace and security and to ensure that the rule of law prevails”.
The two discussed key challenges faced by the ICC and responses to these, including recent efforts aimed at improving the efficiency of the Court. The Secretary-General and President Fernández agreed on the need for continued dialogue with States which have raised concerns as to the Court’s functioning. Practical matters to ensure continued cooperation in the field and UN support of ICC activities were also raised.
The meeting was part of the ICC President’s mission to New York where she is meeting with senior UN officials and briefing the New York Working Group of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute on current developments at the Court. She also spoke at a seminar on international humanitarian law for diplomats accredited to the United Nations, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the New York University School of Law.
While the International Criminal Court is not a part of the United Nations, the two organisations cooperate with each other in accordance with a Relationship Agreement signed in 2004.
