I would like to second an initiative expressed during the Q&A session with Ambassador Scheiffer that I think could have the potential to help secure the arrest of indictees. The idea was that if the International Criminal Court wants to make participant governments comply with the Rome statute by helping them to secure arrests, the Court should use all its leverage. This includes using not just political methods like diplomatic notes, or as some people propose favoring the formation of an international police force, but using economic methods. Indictees need money to continue operating and participant governments around the world can help the ICC not just by surrender the convicts themselves, but by making their lives difficult and limiting their field of action. For example, governments can help the ICC by freezing the accounts of convicts or the accounts of their partners wherever they may be. The main idea that I want to expose here is that the international community can do a lot to support the decisions of the ICC because it is not a one country duty.
David Scheffer
Professor of Law
Comment on the Arrest Lecture Question: “What steps can and should the ICC take to secure the arrest and surrender of indictees?”
I would like to second an initiative expressed during the Q&A session with Ambassador Scheiffer that I think could have the potential to help secure the arrest of indictees. The idea was that if the International Criminal Court wants to make participant governments comply with the Rome statute by helping them to secure arrests, the Court should use all its leverage. This includes using not just political methods like diplomatic notes, or as some people propose favoring the formation of an international police force, but using economic methods. Indictees need money to continue operating and participant governments around the world can help the ICC not just by surrender the convicts themselves, but by making their lives difficult and limiting their field of action. For example, governments can help the ICC by freezing the accounts of convicts or the accounts of their partners wherever they may be. The main idea that I want to expose here is that the international community can do a lot to support the decisions of the ICC because it is not a one country duty.