Sixty-seven states party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a statement of support of the ICC on Tuesday following the US sanctions authorized earlier this month.

The US executive order stated that the actions of the ICC “threaten the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” as the US never agreed to be under ICC’s jurisdiction. Because of this, the US will impose “tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions.” This may include asset freezes and prevention of entry into the US to ICC officials, employees, agents, and family members.

In response, 67 ICC member countries issued a joint statement of support to the ICC, stating that they remain committed to a rule-based order. The joint response states that the ICC is integral and a central institution in the fight for justice, and that the ICC is a court of last resort. National authorities primarily investigate and prosecute Rome Statute crimes, and the ICC participates only when the member countries will not or cannot carry out national proceedings.

In support of the ICC, the statement concludes,

The ICC, as the world’s first and only permanent international criminal court, is an essential component of the multilateral architecture upholding the rule-of-law. It embodies our collective commitment to fight impunity for international crimes. By giving our full support to the ICC and promoting its universal reach, we defend the progress we have made together towards an international rules-based order, of which international justice is an indispensable pillar.