The Hague Hilton

Brett Schaefer / June 08, 2010

The U.S. is currently participating in the Review Conference for the International Criminal Court in Kampala, Uganda, at which three amendments are under consideration that would negatively affect U.S. interests if passed.

Regardless of what happens in Kampala, the Obama administration has said that it will not seek ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Court. However, a number of non-governmental organizations ardently support the International Criminal Court and continue to urge the U.S. to join. There are numerous legal and policy objections to such a course of action. However, as a recent story in the New York Times illustrates, there are plenty of other reasons to be cautious about joining the ICC – starting with its peculiar and expansive interpretation of the rights of those accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. (more…)