Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC) mandated to the prosecution of perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. Slovenia is committed to respecting the principles and values of the Rome Statute and to supporting the independence and impartiality of the ICC, and encourages other countries to do the same. Past atrocities have been preserved in the collective memory and give rise to the determination to prevent conflicts and genocide more effectively in the future.

As a member of the Core Group of the MLA Initiative, which also includes Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands and Senegal, we regret to inform that after careful consideration and in response to the continuing developments surrounding COVID-19 pandemic, the Diplomatic Conference for the negotiation of the Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, which was scheduled for 8–19 June 2020 in Ljubljana, is postponed until further notice.

Between 27 and 29 January, a Slovenian delegation participated in, and co-hosted an informal consultation on the preparatory work for the new international convention on international cooperation in investigations and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, known as the MLA initiative.

On 7 November 2019, the Slovenian delegation concluded their participation in the International Law Week as part of the UN General Assembly Sixth Committee session in New York. Members of the delegation took part in discussions on topical international law issues and expressed staunch support for the International Criminal Court.

Today Minister Dr Cerar held a meeting with President of the International Criminal Court Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji.

As a token of Slovenia’s advocacy of the rule of law, preventive diplomacy and multilateralism, Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar participated in three major events in areas where Slovenia plays an active and prominent role: an event in support of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a meeting of the Group of Friends of Mediation and an event in support of multilateralism.

Today marks the 21th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, which established the permanent International Criminal Court (ICC), a body which has the power to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. On this occasion, Slovenia renews its call on all States that have not yet done so to ratify the Rome Statute as a matter of priority, and to cooperate fully with the Court, thereby ensuring accountability for the most heinous crimes.