International Criminal Court

On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, charging him with war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This unprecedented action targeted a current world leader and underscored the ICC’s role in addressing atrocities arising from ongoing conflict.

On July 1, 2022, the ICC marked its 20th anniversary since the Rome Statute entered into force in 2002. Celebrations in The Hague highlighted two decades of work prosecuting atrocities and reaffirmed commitments from states and the Court to strengthen international justice.

On December 14, 2015, the ICC completed its move into its new, permanent headquarters at Oude Waalsdorperweg 10 in The Hague. The architecturally distinctive complex, set in the international zone near the Peace Palace, provided the Court with purpose‑built facilities, reflecting its growing institutional maturity.

On March 14, 2012, the ICC convicted Thomas Lubanga of the war crime of conscripting and enlisting child soldiers, sentencing him to 14 years in prison. This conviction marked the Court’s first successful prosecution and demonstrated its ability to enforce accountability for grave crimes under its jurisdiction.

On March 4, 2009, the ICC issued its first arrest warrant for a sitting head of state: Sudanese President Omar al‑Bashir, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. This groundbreaking decision underscored the Court’s willingness to hold even high-ranking officials accountable under international law.

In January 2009, the ICC conducted its first trial, indicting Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga for the war crime of recruiting child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This first hearing operationalized the Court’s judicial mandate and set important legal precedents in international criminal law.

On April 1, 2005, the United Nations Security Council referred the situation in Darfur, Sudan, to the ICC Prosecutor for investigation. This marked the first time the Council used its Chapter VII powers to trigger ICC jurisdiction, expanding the Court’s reach in addressing atrocities in non-member states under Security Council mandate.

On March 11, 2003, the first bench of eighteen judges elected by the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC was sworn in at its inaugural session in The Hague. This milestone marked the transition from preparatory legal establishment to actual judicial functionality, enabling the ICC to begin adjudicating cases under the Rome Statute.

The Rome Statute entered into force on July 1, 2002, after receiving the 60th ratification, officially establishing the International Criminal Court. On this day, the ICC began its operations as the first permanent international tribunal with jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, complementing national legal systems. The court’s jurisdiction applies only to crimes committed from this date onward.

On July 17, 1998, the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), was adopted during a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy. This marked the formal creation of the legal framework for a permanent international tribunal to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and later the crime of aggression. The adoption was the culmination of decades of efforts to establish a permanent international criminal court. The statute required ratification by 60 states to enter into force.