Mr. Chair,
I thank the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein for convening this meeting. I also thank the President of the International Criminal Court, Mr. Piotr Hofmański for his presence and insightful remarks.
On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute, I warmly
The adoption of the Rome Statute is an important milestone in the history of international criminal
As a victim of genocide, war crimes and crime against humanity ourselves, our commitment to Rome Statute is steadfast. We have established the International Crimes Tribunals, Bangladesh (ICT-BD) in 2010, in conformity with its principle of ‘complementarity’, to investig
The Tribunals have played a crucial role in healing the pains of the victims, who waited four decades for justice.
Mr. Chair,
Justice is a key prerequisite for lasting peace and sustainable development. Bangladesh is steadfast in its commitment to support global efforts to uphold justice and rule of law.
In this regard, we recognize International Criminal Court as the principal global criminal justice institution, and reaffirm our unwavering support to its independent and impartial judicial nature. We reiterate our commitment to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute and to preserve its integrity.
Mr. Chair
Justice is also is critical for sustainable resolution of global conflicts. We are more convinced of this having to bear the brunt of a conflict situation in our neighborhood which forced over a million civilians to take shelter in Bangladesh.
The forced displacement of Rohingya from their ancestral homes in Myanmar has now being considered by the International Criminal Court. We consider the investigation by the ICC Prosecutor’s Office into the situation of Rohingya minorities as an important confidence-building measure for safe and voluntary return of Rohingya to Myanmar, who continue to remain concerned about their safety in Myanmar in the absence of any accountability of the perpetrators.
Mr. Chair
We stress that cooperation, assistance, and support of State parties to the Rome Statute as well as other States remain critical for discharging ICC’s mandate in a sustained and meaningful manner. In this regard, we support the efforts of ICC to enlarge its cooperation network in the region and join call of the Court to all State Parties to cooperate with its investigations, including Myanmar in this regard.
Bangladesh remains fully engaged with the ICC in providing cooperation and assistance in the investigation in the Myanmar situation.
We call upon Myanmar to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, so that the perpetrators of crimes committed against the Rohingya could be brought to justice and help break the cycle of violence and impunity in their country.
To conclude, we reiterate our call for upholding the solidarity among State Parties, and the integrity and credibility of ICC as the Court of last resort in the overarching interest of fighting impunity for the gravest crimes under international law.
I thank you.