Callamard urges Marcos to rejoin ICC

Metro Manila, Philippines – Former United Nations Special Rapporteur and Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said the Philippines would be standing on the side of justice should it decide to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In an interview with NewsWatch Plus’ The Newsmaker, Callamard urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to bring the Philippines back to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, following the turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We are calling on him to return to the International Criminal Court, that will be yet another formidable sign that the Philippine means business and that the Philippines is on the side of justice," said Callamard.

"President Marcos has a big opportunity now, which is to go back to the International Criminal Court. And we at Amnesty are certainly calling on him now that President Duterte is sitting in an ICC jail," she added.

Callamard noted that while the ICC is “working fairly well,” some state parties are failing to meet their obligations.

"The problem is with the member states of the International Criminal Court that are renegading of their obligations to arrest any of those indicted by the ICC. That's problem number one. Problem number two is those who have not signed on or ratified the International Criminal Court statute and who may be using their power to put pressure on others, such as President Donald Trump, who has issued sanctions against the ICC prosecutor," she said.

She also criticized some European countries, including Hungary, for refusing to comply with the ICC’s arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"It is a dereliction of their obligation as a member state of the International Criminal Court and it is also a form of double standard," she said.

Under ICC rules, countries that have withdrawn from the Rome Statute can rejoin by depositing an instrument of accession or ratification with the United Nations Secretary-General. This must be done in compliance with national legal procedures. The treaty enters into force for the country on the first day of the month, 60 days after the deposit.

In 2016, Gambia announced its withdrawal from the ICC under then-President Yahya Jammeh. However, the country reversed course in 2017 after a change in leadership under President Adama Barrow, effectively rejoining the court.