Since 2001, Congress and the Bush administration have undertaken an unrealistic and impractical effort to undermine the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the expense of other U.S. foreign policy objectives. The Bush administration has insisted that member countries of the ICC sign Bilateral Immunity Agreements (BIAs) with the United States, in clear violation of their treaty obligations. For its part, Congress has withheld military and economic aid to countries that refuse to sign BIAs. This policy has damaged the image of our nation abroad, weakened bilateral relations, and compromised top-tier foreign policy goals.


1) A Superpower, A Super Partner. In an interconnected world, coercion and threats make nations weaker - not stronger. We should work with others to advance the human rights- and justice-oriented mission of the ICC, not force our friends to undermine it.

2) Cutting Off Our Nose to Spite Our Face. The withheld aid funds are intended to support counterterrorism, security and economic development - all key U.S. goals. Plus, our allies are increasingly seeing other powers, like China and Venezuela, as more reliable partners than the United States.

3) When Are We Going to Learn? For five years, the ICC has forged a consistent record of impartial, justice-oriented activities in the name of some of the world's most vulnerable people. Civil society and military leaders agree that the current ideologically-driven policy of the U.S. has been a disaster, and it's time for our country to correct its course.


Learn more about the issue :

http://www.globalsolutions.org/issues/international_criminal_court