
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Thembi Simelane will represent South Africa at the 23rd Session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the World Forum Convention Centre in The Hague this week.
The ASP is the ICC’s principal management and legislative body, comprising all States Parties that have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute.
“The session will bring together Heads of State, government Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Ambassadors from ICC States Parties. The ASP convenes annually to discuss and decide on critical matters concerning the future functioning of the court, including the election of officials, resource allocation, the court’s work, strengthening cooperation and policy development,” the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said.
The ASP is scheduled to take place from 2 to 7 December 2024.
While the outcomes of each assembly session vary depending on the specific issues addressed, the session consistently tackles recurring themes.
Since 2003, the assembly has adopted a resolution on “Strengthening the International Criminal Court and the Assembly of States Parties”.
“Importantly, the annual gathering of States Parties serves as a powerful symbol of unwavering support for the court and provides a platform for states to renew and strengthen their cooperation with the ICC and its various organs.
“In light of recent developments, particularly the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine, fostering a collective approach to international law and upholding globally agreed norms and standards on international law and human rights is more crucial than ever,” the department said.
The deliberations at this year’s assembly will address pressing challenges, including political pressures, state cooperation and the need for reform and enhanced effectiveness of the ICC.
“Minister Simelane’s participation provides a vital opportunity to advocate for greater accountability for international crimes and further South Africa’s position on human rights, justice, and reform within the global justice system,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
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Stormcake
Fun South African Fact: Towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch boast world-class wine farms in beautiful settings.
Abiss
So I\’m real good friends with this guy named Juan Ted. Now, Juan is a pretty unbelievable guy. He can steal ANYTHING he wants to. Literally anything. It could be the shirt off your back, the wallet in your pocket, or I\’m even sure he\’d find a way to steal your house (And your spouse too). So anyway, one day Juan and I are sitting around watching TV, and they announced that the hope diamond will not be on display anymore and is now getting moved to an undisclosed location. So as we hear this, Juan says \”I\’m gonna steal it\”. Now I know how good Juan is at this kind of stuff, so I just tell him good luck and he goes on his way. Eventually he narrows his search down to a small cave in South Africa. When Juan gets there, he doesn\’t see any guards or anything outside the cave, so he just walks in assuming he was wrong about where the diamond was. He wanders around for a while until he sees a long lit hallway with the hope diamond at the end of it. Confident in his abilities, he strolls over to the diamond and picks it up before realizing its a trap! Suddenly, red lights flashed, armed men came running out, sirens went off. You could hear one of the men say under his breath \”We finally caught Juan Ted.\” But Juan, being the best thief in the world, said \”Not quite. On the count of three, I will disappear.\” As the men looked around confused, Juan began to count. \”Uno. Dos.\” And he disappeared without a tres.