News

On 17 October, the United Nations Security Council held a first-time debate on “Peace and Justice with a Special Focus on the Role of the International Criminal Court”. During the debate, representatives from Lithuania pointed out that closer cooperation between the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court would contribute to more effective activities of the Security Council.

“The UN Security Council should seek to closer cooperate with the International Criminal Court implementing political and diplomatic measures, coordinating regimes of sanctions and strengthening peacekeepers’ mandates,” Deputy Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations Rita Kazragienė said.

During the debate, Lithuania also called for the strengthening of investment in national justice systems, reaching an agreement on the principles that would allow for an unbiased transfer of cases to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, as well as obliging all the countries to cooperate with the Court, providing for a stable allocation of funds for the hearing of the transferred cases.

The Lithuanian representative indicated the strengthening of women’s role in fostering peace and security in the world as one of the potential areas for cooperation.

The Security Council has transferred cases pertaining to crimes allegedly committed in Libya and Sudan to the International Criminal Court. However, but the Syrian case has not been referred to the International Criminal Court because of a disagreement among the permanent members about the situation in this Middle Eastern country.

Even three out of the five permanent members of the Security Council - Russia, China and the U.S. – have not acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and have not recognised the jurisdiction of this Court.

Lithuania is a candidate to fill in a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council at the election held in October 2013.