Dispute brewing over ICC

Date: 27/06/02

A ROW between the EU and US appears imminent over Washington's attempts to thwart the work of the new International Criminal Court (ICC), which will be formally opened in The Hague on Monday (1 July).

Both the European Commission and Denmark's new EU presidency are expected to berate the Bush administration over its refusal to back the ICC when MEPs debate the issue in Strasbourg.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will tomorrow (28 June) vote on two American proposals. The first aims to make the international stabilisation force in Bosnia exempt from ICC scrutiny; the second would confer immunity on all troops deployed in UN peacekeeping missions.

Earlier this week Brazil became the 69th state to ratify the ICC Treaty, which was agreed in 1998 after a worldwide outcry over atrocities in Rwanda and the ex-Yugoslavia. The ICC will try people accused of war crimes or genocide.

A row between the EU and US appears imminent over Washington's attempts to thwart the work of the new International Criminal Court (ICC), which will be formally opened in The Hague on 1 July 2002.