Deputy Minister Benedetto Della Vedova addressed the 20th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, currently taking place in The Hague. The Deputy Minister reaffirmed Italy’s full and convincing support for the International Criminal Court, an “indispensable institution and a bulwark – often the last – against impunity for those responsible for the most serious crimes”.
Della Vedova continued, “Italy supports the victim-oriented approach promoted by the Court”, also through the Trust Fund for Victims to which our country contributes.
Highlighting the current phase of dynamism of the Court, which is dealing with an increasing number of cases while its reform process is underway, the Deputy Minister stressed the need to preserve the integrity of the Rome Statute, promote its universality, respect the independence of the Court, offer it full cooperation and provide it with the necessary resources.
Finally, the Deputy Minister recalled the significant ratification by Italy of the Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute on war crimes and crimes of aggression. Della Vedova concluded by saying that this development testifies to “the firm and continuous support of Italian institutions for the quest for justice and the need for accountability enshrined in the Rome Statute, which coincides with the centrality that the Italian Constitution accords to the protection of human rights and the promotion of peace”.
