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BreakfastȱonȱSituationsȱunderȱPreliminaryȱExaminationȱandȱtheȱPreventativeȱRoleȱofȱtheȱ
Office’’sȱworkȱ
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13ȱJanuaryȱ2011ȱ
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Lastȱ yearȱ theȱ Officeȱ ofȱ theȱ Prosecutorȱ presentedȱ itsȱ policyȱ onȱ preliminaryȱ examinations.ȱ Todayȱ
theȱOfficeȱisȱgoingȱtoȱbriefȱyouȱonȱtheȱsituationsȱunderȱpreliminaryȱexamination.ȱȱ
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InȱaccordanceȱwithȱtheȱRomeȱStatute,ȱtheȱOfficeȱhasȱthreeȱdifferentȱcoreȱactivities:ȱȱ
a) theȱ Officeȱ isȱ responsibleȱ forȱ conductingȱ preliminaryȱ examinationsȱ inȱ orderȱ toȱ identifyȱ
situationsȱunderȱtheȱjurisdictionȱofȱtheȱCourtȱandȱeventuallyȱtriggerȱtheȱjurisdictionȱofȱtheȱ
Courtȱ(articleȱ15);ȱ
b) toȱcarryȱoutȱinvestigationsȱ(articleȱ54);ȱ
c) toȱprosecuteȱtheȱcasesȱbeforeȱtheȱCourt.ȱ
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CurrentlyȱtheȱOfficeȱisȱconductingȱpreliminaryȱexaminationsȱanalyzingȱallegedȱcrimesȱcommittedȱ
onȱ theȱ territoryȱ ofȱ sevenȱ Statesȱ Parties:ȱ Colombia,ȱ Honduras,ȱ Guinea,ȱ Nigeria,ȱ Afghanistan,ȱ
GeorgiaȱandȱRepublicȱofȱKorea.ȱAdditionallyȱtheȱOfficeȱisȱassessingȱtheȱdeclarationsȱacceptingȱtheȱ
jurisdictionȱ ofȱ theȱ Courtȱ underȱ articleȱ 12(3)ȱ ofȱ theȱ Statuteȱ byȱ Coteȱ d’’Ivoireȱ andȱ theȱ Palestinianȱ
NationalȱAuthority.ȱȱ
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Thereȱ areȱ noȱ otherȱ situationsȱ underȱ preliminaryȱ examination.ȱ Theȱ Officeȱ hasȱ noȱ mandateȱ toȱ
evaluateȱ situationsȱ whereȱ allegedȱ crimesȱ wereȱ committedȱ byȱ nonȬStateȱ Partyȱ nationalsȱ onȱ theȱ
territoryȱofȱnonȬStatesȱParties.ȱȱ
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Theȱ goalȱ ofȱ theȱ Statuteȱ isȱ toȱ endȱ impunityȱ toȱ contributeȱ toȱ theȱ preventionȱ ofȱ futureȱ crimes.ȱ Asȱ
elaboratedȱuponȱinȱtheȱProsecutorialȱStrategyȱforȱ2009Ȭ2012,ȱoneȱofȱtheȱobjectivesȱofȱtheȱOfficeȱisȱ
toȱmaximizeȱitsȱcontributionȱtoȱtheȱfightȱagainstȱimpunityȱandȱtheȱpreventionȱofȱcrimes.ȱ
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TheȱpracticeȱofȱtheȱOfficeȱhasȱshownȱthatȱtheȱmereȱinitiationȱofȱaȱpreliminaryȱexaminationȱhasȱaȱ
deterrentȱimpact.ȱThisȱimpactȱwillȱdependȱonȱtheȱnationalȱandȱinternationalȱsupportȱtoȱtheȱjusticeȱ
activitiesȱtoȱendȱimpunity.ȱTheȱOfficeȱhasȱaȱlegalȱmandate,ȱwithȱnoȱflexibilityȱtoȱadjustȱtoȱpoliticalȱ
considerations.ȱ Briefingȱ youȱ aboutȱ theȱ workȱ onȱ preliminaryȱ examinationȱ willȱ increaseȱ theȱ
predictabilityȱ ofȱ theȱ Office’’sȱ decisionsȱ andȱ willȱ allowȱ yourȱ countriesȱ toȱ factorȱ inȱ theȱ Court’’sȱ
interventionȱinȱyourȱpoliticalȱdecisions.ȱTheȱOfficeȱisȱcommittedȱtoȱorganizeȱperiodicȱmeetingsȱtoȱ
furtherȱdiscussȱwithȱStatesȱPartiesȱandȱnonȬStatesȱPartiesȱitsȱpreliminaryȱexaminationȱactivities.ȱȱ
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Theȱ situationsȱ ofȱ Guineaȱ andȱ Coteȱ d’’Ivoireȱ offerȱ aȱ concreteȱ opportunityȱ toȱ useȱ theȱ Office’’sȱ
preliminaryȱexaminationȱtoȱpreventȱcrimes.ȱ
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Ourȱexperienceȱtoȱdateȱhasȱalsoȱshownȱthatȱtheȱagreementȱonȱrespectȱforȱtheȱlawȱcouldȱhelpȱtoȱ
overcomeȱdifficultȱcrises.ȱWeȱsawȱthisȱinȱKenyaȱwhereȱtheȱAUȱrepresentedȱbyȱKofiȱAnnanȱspokeȱ
onȱbehalfȱofȱtheȱinternationalȱcommunityȱandȱincludedȱinȱtheȱagreementȱtheȱneedȱforȱjusticeȱandȱ
accountability.ȱ Theȱ Officeȱ requestedȱ lastȱ Decemberȱ theȱ indictmentȱ ofȱ seniorȱ leadersȱ fromȱ bothȱ
partsȱofȱtheȱgovernmentȱandȱthereȱwasȱnoȱviolence.ȱSimilarlyȱinȱourȱ3rdȱDRCȱcase,ȱwhereȱtheȱlastȱ
hurdleȱhasȱbeenȱremovedȱtoȱtheȱsurrenderȱofȱCallixteȱMbarushimana,ȱStates,ȱincludingȱnonȬStatesȱ
PartiesȱsuchȱasȱRwanda,ȱareȱworkingȱtogetherȱtoȱpreventȱadditionalȱcrimesȱbyȱtheȱFDLR.ȱ
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Theseȱ investigationsȱ intoȱ Kenyaȱ andȱ theȱ FDLRȱ areȱ alsoȱ opportunitiesȱ toȱ maximizeȱ theȱ
preventativeȱimpactȱofȱtheȱCourt,ȱevenȱbeforeȱaȱfinalȱdecisionȱisȱtakenȱbyȱtheȱjudges.ȱȱ
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Additionally,ȱ andȱ inȱ accordanceȱ withȱ itsȱ positiveȱ approachȱ toȱ complementarity,ȱ basedȱ onȱ theȱ
goalsȱ ofȱ theȱ preambleȱ andȱ articleȱ 93(10)ȱ ofȱ theȱ Statute,ȱ theȱ Officeȱ willȱ seekȱ toȱ encourageȱ andȱ
cooperateȱ withȱ nationalȱ andȱ internationalȱ effortsȱ toȱ conductȱ genuineȱ nationalȱ proceedings.ȱ
Guineaȱisȱaȱrecentȱexampleȱofȱthisȱapproach.ȱȱ
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