Toward an International Criminal Court? a Council Policy Initiative

Backed by strong international support, the formation of a permanent International Criminal Court (ICC) will soon replace the use of ad hoc tribunals such as those for Yugoslavia and Rwanda. The United States, originally a proponent of the ICC treaty negotiated in Rome in 1998, now stands with the small minority opposing the ICC. With the court likely to come into existence, the terms of U.S. participation in the treaty are now a vital question. This new Council Policy Initiative thoroughly examines three options for U.S. policy: endorse the ICC, reject the ICC, or work with the ICC as a nonparty while seeking to resolve U.S. objections to the treaty. Written in the form of three speeches a U.S. president might make to the American people, the book presents a multitude of perspectives in each of the three policy options. It provides critical insight into the current debate over U.S. foreign policy and the United States role in international criminal prosecution.