28 December 2000

Austrian Ratification of the ICC-Statute

Relevant Dates:

Austria signed the Rome Statute of the ICC at the official Rome Signing Ceremony on 7 October 1998. In the preparation for ratification, a number of difficult legal issues had to be resolved because the Austrian Constitution had to be amended.

The Austrian Parliament began its deliberations on the question of ratification in the National Assembly on 21 November 2000 and adopted the decision unanimously on 24 November. All speakers from all parties of parliament had spoken in favour of ratification.

On 14 December 2000, the Federal Assembly, the second chamber of the Austrian Parliament, approved of the decision of the National Assembly. Again, the vote was unanimously in favour of ratification and all speakers made statements supporting this act.

Subsequently the Austrian Federal President, Dr. Thomas Klestil, and the Federal Chancellor Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel signed the Instrument of Ratification, which was deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations on 28 December 2000. Austria thereby became the 26th state to deposit its instrument of ratification.

The Austrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dr. Gerhard Pfanzelter, underlined the importance of this event: "The ICC is without doubt one of the most important and successful projects of the United Nations. The horrors of the Second World War and the terrible conflicts of the past decades illustrate the necessity for an independent international criminal court which can prosecute and punish persons responsible for the most heinous crimes. Enforceable individual responsibility is the best deterrent."

Regarding the ratification of the Rome Statute by Austria in December 2000 he added: "Austria has been among those States that have argued strongly in favour of the establishment of an international criminal court from the very beginning. It has always participated actively in the negotiations on the ICC. By voting unanimously in favour of the Rome Statute, the Austrian Parliament demonstrated its full and unequivocal support for the ICC. Austria is proud to be among the first 26 States to have ratified the Statute and encourages all other signatories to follow suit."