Editing office - Geneva

 Summary Day Seven - Assembly of States Parties 2018

“The Rome Statute is the dream of the finest instincts of humanity,” – Bill Pace, Covenor of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, 12 December 2018

On the last day of the 17th ASP session, states convened for a short plenary to adopt the last of the resolutions and reports. States considered the Court’s proposed budget request for 2019 (€147.55 million) and the recommendation of the CBF to approve a budget of €144.70 million, finally settling – after several days of drawn-out negotiations – on a budget of €144.55 million – or €150,000 less than what the independent expert body had advised. 

The last side event of ASP17 returned the attention to the victims and communities affected by international crimes, with the Netherlands, Uganda, Avocats Sans Frontieres, Impunity Watch, and Redress organizing an event to discuss, “Victim Participation in Transitional Justice Contexts.”As the ASP session was drawing to a close, the ICC issued a press release announcing the arrest of Mr. Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona by French authorities. Mr. Ngaïssona – who was the most senior leader and the “National General Coordinator” of the Anti-Balaka – is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in various locations in the CAR.