Originally published on the CGS blog on March 3, 2011.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GlobalSolutions.org applauds the passage of Resolution 1970 by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which condemns the recent attacks on civilians by the Libyan regime, and the unanimous vote to refer the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation into potential war crimes.
Don Kraus, CEO of GlobalSolutions.org, praised the vote, saying “The unanimous Security Council vote to refer Libya to the ICC highlights the growing importance of the Court in bringing the world’s worst criminals to justice. The positive vote by the United States is very welcomed and shows how the U.S. relationship with the Court has matured.”
GlobalSolutions.org supports upholding human rights and acting through multilateral organizations such as the U.N. and the ICC. CGS convenes the Washington Working Group on the ICC (WICC), a group of the Washington legislative and governmental affairs offices of American NGOs committed to the cause of the Court. Don Kraus serves as co-convenor of the WICC. CGS encourages further U.S. engagement with the ICC as a non-state party, and support eventual U.S. ratification of the Rome Statute. For more information on CGS’s perspective on the Court, visit http://globalsolutions.org/law-justice/international-criminal-court.
Resolution 1970, passed by the UNSC on February 26th, also includes an arms embargo, a travel ban and freezing of all assets for Libyan leaders. Additionally, it calls for the use of “all measures necessary” to ensure that humanitarian aid from the world community reaches Libya. The UNSC said it will continue to monitor the situation in the country, and strengthen or reduce the resolution’s measures as appropriate in the future. As a non-state party to the ICC, Libya is not obligated to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation, but the Security Council urged it to do so.
