Zelenskyy signs bill on ratification of Rome Statute into law

Earlier, on August 15, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted to the parliament a draft law on the ratification of the statute and its amendments. Another bill provides for amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Ukraine against the background of ratification.

Ratification will enable Ukraine to acquire full membership in the ICC. Later, Ukraine will gain full membership in the Court and participate in the work of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, the explanatory note says.

It will also make it possible to effectively cooperate with this international institution to punish those guilty of particularly serious crimes that are "of concern to the international community."

What is the Rome Statute?

This is an international treaty on the basis of which the International Criminal Court was founded. It was signed by 137 countries of the world, including Ukraine, but ratified by only 124.

The statute defines four main international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The ICC can prosecute people on such charges. After the ratification of the Rome Statute, the ICC gets the opportunity to investigate crimes committed on the territory of member states or by their citizens.