[JURIST] UN officials have announced that Mexico will become the 100th nation to ratify the Rome Statute [PDF text], the 1998 treaty creating the International Criminal Court [official website], when Mexican officials deposit their ratification documents Friday. The court was established to try individuals for serious international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Its governing Rome Statute took effect in 2002 [ICC backgrounder]; offences commited after that date are liable for prosecution by the ICC. The US opposes the court [State Dept. fact sheet] and has insisted that US officials, soldiers and contractors be exempted from ICC prosecution by threatening to cut military aid to countries that do not sign so-called Article 98 agreements [State Dept. backgrounder] promising not to surrender US persons to the court without US consent. Reuters has more.