THE HAGUE, September 4, 2026 (WAFA) — The current and former presidents of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) have warned that efforts to diplomatically isolate the Court are aimed at undermining confidence in the international legal order, as the administration of US President Donald Trump pressures countries to distance themselves from the institution.
In a joint opinion article published on Thursday by Just Security, Päivi Kaukoranta, the current President of the Assembly of States Parties, and seven former presidents said efforts to isolate the Court—whether by encouraging States Parties to withdraw from the Rome Statute or urging non-member states to join measures intended to weaken it—threaten confidence in the international legal system itself.
They said defending the ICC is ultimately about preserving the international legal order as a safeguard against lawlessness and impunity, arguing that the choice facing the international community is “between a world based on the rule of law and one where might decides what is right.”
The article comes amid an escalating US campaign against the ICC. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on ICC judges and officials, including the Court’s president, and has exerted diplomatic pressure on countries over their relationship with the institution. Just Security reported that Washington has also sought to encourage States Parties to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
The authors stressed that the ICC is an independent court established by 125 States Parties under the Rome Statute to exercise jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. They noted that the Court operates under the principle of complementarity, meaning national courts retain primary responsibility for prosecuting such crimes.
They called on ICC States Parties, international and regional organizations, and the wider international community committed to the rule of law to provide the political, legal and practical support needed for the Court to fulfill its mandate.
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