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At the recent conference on implementation of the Rome Statute for the International
Criminal Court in Dakar, Senegal, participants called upon the government of Senegal, which was the first country to ratify the Rome Statute on February 2, 1999, to be among the first countries to adopt implementing legislation of the Rome Statute.

The Dakar Conference urges rapid implementation of the
Rome Statute

From October 23 until October 26, 2001, in Dakar, Senegal, there was a
conference on implementation of the Rome Statute for the International
Criminal Court. The conference was organized by ONDH (Organisation Nationale
des Droits de l'Homme) together with Lawyers Committee for Human Rights and
FIDH (Fédération Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme), all
members of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC).
The opening ceremony was presided by the Minister of Justice of Senegal
who was representing the Prime Minister who was unable to make it.
The Ambassadors of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada and France
were also present at the opening ceremony, as well as representatives of the
Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Defense, members of the Parliament,
lawyers from Senegal, Mali and Ivory Coast, experts in International Law,
and representatives of Senegalese and international human rights
organizations. During the three day conference, the participants discussed
the issues of complementarity and cooperation between the Senegalese legal
system and the Rome Statute.

The Dakar conference called upon the government of Senegal, which was the
first country to ratify the Rome Statute on February 2, 1999, to be among
the first countries to adopt implementing legislation of the Rome Statute.
In this regard, the participants adopted a series of recommendations that
will be submitted to the Senegalese government so as to facilitate the
implementation and compatibility of the Rome Statute and the national law.
Not only will the adaptation of the Senegalese law to the Rome Statute allow
Senegal to effectively cooperate with the ICC, but also it will allow
Senegal to
implement the principle of complementarity that will enable the Senegalese
jurisdiction to have the priority in investigating and punishing the
crimes against
humanity.

The implementation of the Rome Statute will require a certain harmonization
of the criminal laws and procedures in the Senegalese law. The way to this
harmonization has been paved by the experts who met during the three
day conference
in Dakar. The participants were very happy about the progress they
made and they
reaffirmed the importance of the ICC with an international jurisdiction
which will put an end to the culture of impunity. At the end of the
conference, the participants recommended the creation of a commission that
will work on the implementation of the Rome Statute in Senegal and they
called upon the President of Senegal to urge his African colleagues to
ratify the Rome Statute as soon as possible so as to ensure that Africa is
well represented at the First Assembly of States Parties to the ICC.

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Alphonse Déo Nkunzimana
Outreach Liaison
Officier Liaison
NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court
Coalition des ONGs pour la Cour Pénale Internationale

777 UN Plaza 3rd Floor
New York New York 10017
USA
Telephone +1 212 687 2863 ex 16
Faxsimile +1 212 599 1332
Email [email protected]
Web http://www.iccnow.org
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