US Urges NATO Allies to Quit ICC

The United States has reportedly asked its NATO allies to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and end their support for the tribunal. According to a report citing three NATO diplomats, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker raised the demand during a closed-door meeting of the alliance’s 32 ambassadors in Brussels in mid-July. A US diplomatic paper reportedly said Washington intended to “systematically dismantle” the ICC’s capabilities and urged allied countries to take steps toward withdrawal.

The reported move comes amid Washington’s escalating campaign against the ICC. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously announced measures targeting ICC officials and said the court poses a threat to US sovereignty. In August, the US sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. France and the Netherlands have pushed back against Washington’s position, with the Netherlands reaffirming its support for the court. The ICC was established in 2002 under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The US is not a member of the ICC, while Turkey is also outside the Rome Statute among NATO members.