President's Office plans to ratify Rome Statute by end of 2024

Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has announced her intention to resolve the issue of ratifying the Rome Statute by the end of the year.

Source: Iryna Mudra in an interview with Voice of America, as reported by European Pravda

Mudra stated that she personally supports the ratification of the Rome Statute, an international treaty on which the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based but which Ukraine has not yet ratified.

Quote: "I know that the Prosecutor General supports it, as well as the relevant parliamentary committee. I believe that together we will accomplish this. My goal is to resolve the issue of ratification by the end of this year," she stated.

Mudra explained that issues with ratification are partly due to previous years' inaccurate communication messages. "Thus, a truly mistaken impression has unfortunately taken root in the minds of the military," she noted.

The mistaken perception is that as soon as Ukraine ratifies the Rome Statute, it will immediately serve as grounds for holding Ukrainian military personnel and leadership accountable before the International Criminal Court.

However, Mudra is convinced that from a legal standpoint, this is an incorrect assertion because Ukraine already made two declarations recognising the jurisdiction of the ICC in 2014 and 2015.

"So, in essence, we have already recognised its jurisdiction. The ICC can already hold our citizens accountable. There are no new risks with the ratification of the Rome Statute. This needs to be clearly understood and explained to the military, which is what we have begun to do," she explained.

Mudra also mentioned that with the ratification of the Rome Statute, Ukraine will only gain benefits as the country will become a full participant in the ICC.

"We will gain the right, in particular, to nominate our judge to the ICC. Additionally, Ukraine will be able to participate in the conferences of participants, thus influencing the processes. Ratification will also serve as a catalyst for harmonising national legislation. Currently, I am working with the military to dispel their fears and doubts and correct any previously formed incorrect impressions," she explained.

Background: Last year in August, Andrii Smyrnov, a former deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated that considering the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in Ukraine should be done only after winning the war against Russia.

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