African countries are considering a coordinated withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it is not reformed to address what they see as its bias against the continent, according to a document seen by Reuters. Almost a third of the ICC’s 124 members are African, and a withdrawal by a large number of them would cripple a court that has yet to fulfil hopes that it would ensure perpetrators of war crimes and genocide never go unpunished. It calls for “fair and transparent” international justice that is free of “double standards”, and advocates the “regionalisation” of international law, a reference to proposals for an African war crimes court. She told Reuters that states contemplating withdrawal were trying to shield themselves from justice. The court’s defenders have always said its focus on Africa reflects the continent’s greater incidence of serious war crimes and the weakness of its judicial systems.

Source: Hindustan Times January 27, 2017 15:36 UTC