United States' Rejection of the International Criminal Court: A Strategic Error; Program research paper

摘要

Throughout the Twentieth Century the international community struggled to find a method of ensuring that those responsible for brutal war crimes and atrocities were held responsible for their actions. These efforts coalesced into the Rome Conference where the international community sought to fashion an institution that would have the authority to accomplish these tasks but not trample individual sovereignty. The United States was a major part of these negotiations but did not accept the result. The Bush administration and Congress have pursued a markedly hostile attitude towards the International Criminal Court (ICC). Failure to accept the Rome Statute constitutes a strategic mistake in the use of the informational and diplomatic elements of power. Given that there is little or no risk that the ICC would impact U.S. military or humanitarian operations the United States should sign and ratify the Rome Statute.