Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), a network of elected legislators from 110 countries from all regions of the world, welcomes the adoption of the first United Nations Security Council resolution referring a situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Resolution 1593 (2005) of March 31, 2005 on the situation in Darfur, Sudan, was adopted with 11 votes in favour and 4 abstentions. The measure had been under active discussion in the Security Council since January 25, 2005, when the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur recommended the referral to the ICC under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and article 13.b of the Rome Statute of the ICC. Over two months, the United States opposed the referral, which it saw as conferring a 'legitimizing' effect on the Court. Only when the resolution was tabled for a vote by France and the United Kingdom, resolution 1593 (2005), did the majority of Council's Members prevail over this US resistance.

The Sahel, a vast region bordering the Sahara Desert and including the countries of Mali, Niger, Chad and Mauritania, is increasingly referred to by the U.S. military as "the new front in the war on terrorism". There are enough indications, from a security perspective, to justify caution and greater Western involvement. However, the Sahel is not a hotbed of terrorist activity. A misconceived and heavy handed approach could tip the scale the wrong way; serious, balanced, and long-term engagement with the four countries should keep the region peaceful, says the International Crisis Group.