The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine voted on Wednesday to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, making Ukraine a state party. 281 deputies of the Rada voted for the bill while only one voted against it. The bill was introduced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 17 alongside other legislation to bring Ukraine into compliance with the treaty.
Ukraine originally signed the Rome Statue in 2000 but did not ratify the document until now. While the treaty normally limits the ICC’s jurisdiction to crimes committed on the territory or by nationals of its state parties, Ukraine has consented to the court’s jurisdiction within its territory by special arrangement under Article 12(3) via two declarations in 2014 and 2015. In addition to allowing the court’s jurisdiction in Ukraine, the declarations also created obligations for Ukraine under Part IX of the treaty, requiring Ukraine to cooperate with the court. This arrangement has persisted throughout the ongoing hostilities between Ukraine and Russia.
The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, claimed that ratifying the Rome Statute demonstrates Ukraine’s “unwavering commitment to strengthening international justice. Ukraine has already worked effectively with the ICC to ensure comprehensive accountability for all Russian atrocities committed in the course of Russian aggression. This work will now be even more effective,” Kuleba said. The minister also noted that the ratification is an important step for Ukraine towards joining the European Union (EU), which was outlined as a requirement in the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. The EU is a strong supporter of the ICC, with all EU members being parties to the Rome Statute.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the ICC has received referrals from 43 member states regarding atrocity crimes committed in Ukraine’s territory, which enabled the prosecutor’s office to conduct investigations into the situation in Ukraine. In March 2023, Ukraine signed an agreement to establish an ICC office in the country, expanding cooperation with the court.
ICC investigations have resulted in arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, over the alleged unlawful taking of children from Ukrainian territory.
