Security Council looks at role of the International Criminal Court
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Ban Ki-moon addresses UN Security Council on strengthening the rule of law
Justice is critical to breaking cycles of violence and fragility, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a Security Council meeting on Wednesday.
Council members discussed the Rule of Law with a focus on the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mr. Ban said the Security Council and the 10-year-old Court share a common interest and frequently operate in the same political space.
"We have seen how the actions and inactions of the Court and the Security Council can have an impact on the other. But most importantly, we have seen how the activities of each can assist the other. Only if perpetrators of grave crimes are prosecuted and held to account, can there be any hope that future such crimes will be prevented and peace preserved. Justice is crucial for breaking cycles of violence and fragility." (33 secs)
Mr. Ban described the ICC as being at the centre of a new global criminal justice system that includes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Lebanon, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
He added that even the possibility of the Court's engagement can lead to the establishment of local mechanisms to deliver justice.
