Cyprus’ support for the International Criminal Court remains firm, said the Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Andreas Hadjichrysanthou, in his intervention at the UN Security Council’s high-level open debate on “Strengthening Accountability and Justice for Serious Violations of International Law” on Thursday, 2 June.
As stated in a press release, circulated on Saturday by the Press and Information Office, Hadjichrysanthou addressed the UN Security Council on the principles of international law established by the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal at the end of World War II, such as individual accountability for crimes against humanity and accountability and war crimes, as well as the clarity it achieved on aggressive war which now constitutes an international crime, and added that since then the international criminal justice system for the indictment of persons responsible for acts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity includes national courts, ad hoc international tribunals and, notably, the International Criminal Court.
Subsequently, it is noted that Hadjichrysanthou reiterated that the Republic of Cyprus, which is itself a victim of aggressive war without any ensuing accountability of the perpetrator, remains a strong supporter of the ICC and stressed the need for full cooperation between the ICC and the UN including the referral to the ICC, by the UN Security Council, of cases of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
In addition, the Permanent Representative of Cyprus stated that the Republic of Cyprus supports the conclusion as soon as possible of a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity on the basis of the Draft Articles of the International Law Commission.
The communiqué also stressed the emphasis Hadjichrysanthou placed on the important role of the International Court of Justice of The Hague as an accountability mechanism for state responsibility, recalling that the Republic of Cyprus had already in 1988 recognized the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court and encouraged all UN Member States to do the same.
In conclusion, Hadjichrysanthou noted that accountability is the cornerstone of international justice and that the international community must continue to work to improve the international criminal legal system on the basis of the progress achieved so far, but also to do more towards the implementation of existing rules and the use of the institutions created for this purpose.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
Source: Cyprus News Agency