MR PRESIDENT,

HEADS OF STATES, HONOURABLE MINISTERS,

ATTORNEYS-GENERAL,DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

THE ZAMBIAN DELEGATION CONSIDERS IT A GREAT HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO ADDRESS THIS IMPORTANT UNITED NATIONS DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE OF PLENIPOTENTIARIES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT, WHICH IS A CULMINATION OF A SERIES OF MEETINGS AND PREPARATORY SESSIONS BY MEMBER STATES.

MR PRESIDENT

WE CONSIDER THE CREATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT NOT ONLY AS A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE, BUT A TIMELY INTERVENTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP END IMPUNITY FOR THE MOST SERIOUS INTERNATIONAL CRIMES.

MR PRESIDENT

THE RECENT ETHNIC CONFLICTS WITNESSED BY THE WORLD IN RWANDA AND THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA FURTHER LENDS SUPPORT FOR THE EARLY ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA HAVE PROVED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO HOLD INDIVIDUALS PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CRIMES UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. WHILE WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TWO AI) HOC TRIBUNALS, WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IN THE EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW IS TO CREATE A PERMANENT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT.

MR PRESIDENT

MY DELEGATION ADVOCATES FOR THE CREATION OF AN INDEPENDENT AND IMPARTIAL COURT WHICH SHALL BE AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENT TO NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS OPERATING WITHIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. TO THIS END, WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE COURT MUST HAVE INHERENT JURISDICTION OVER THE CORE CRIMES OF GENOCIDE, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, WAR CRIMES IN INTERNATIONAL AND NON-INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICTS AND AGGRESSION.

MR PRESIDENT

WE STRONGLY SUPPORT AN INDEPENDENT AND IMPARTIAL PROSECUTOR, WHOSE FUNCTIONS MUST BE GUARANTEED BY THE STATUTE. THE PROSECUTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO INITIATE INVESTIGATIONS FOR ANY ALLEGED CRIMES OVER WHICH THE COURT HAS JURISDICTION, BASED ON INFORMATION FROM ANY SOURCE, WITHOUT INTERFERENCE.

REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, W DELEGATION CALLS

FOR THE UPHOLDING OF THE RIGHTS OF SUSPECTS, ACCUSED PERSONS, WITNESSES AND VICTIMS AT ALL STAGES OF THE PROCEEDINGS, AND IN PARTICULAR THE COURT SHOULD BE SENSITIVE TO THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

MR PRESIDENT

ON THE QUESTION OF FUNDING, WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THE COURT SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH LONG TERM SECURE FUNDING WHICH SHOULD COVER HUMAN, TECHNICAL AND OTHER RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR ITS EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING. WE SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT FUNDING FOR THE COURT SHOULD COME FROM THE REGULAR U.N. BUDGET. THIS WOULD ENHANCE THE COURT'S UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE, PARTICULARLY BY SMALLER AND FINANCIALLY WEAKER STATES.

MR PRESIDENT

WHILE RECOGNISING THE ROLE OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IN MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY, THE SECURITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT AND MUST NOT BE SEEN TO UNDERMINE THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE COURT.

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, THE ZAMBIAN DELEGATION EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE TO THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT FOR HOSTING THIS AUGUST CONFERENCE.