On 30 October 2019, H.E. Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, visited the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he was received by the President of the Court, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji.
In his remarks at the meeting, President Eboe-Osuji expressed gratitude President Duda for Poland’s strong and unwavering support to the ICC and its work in pursuing accountability for those responsible for violating international law. “The Court was specifically created to ensure individual criminal responsibility for those who commit genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. But is important to recall that the Court’s jurisdiction in that regard is not a primary one. It is only a court of last resort. A court whose jurisdiction only serves to complement the jurisdiction of national courts in ensuring that justice is done”, he said.
The visit of President Duda to the ICC highlights Poland’s commitment to the Court and the joint efforts deployed in the fight against the impunity of the perpetrators of the most serious crimes that affect the international community as a whole. Poland ratified the Rome Statute on 12 November 2001 and has also ratified the Kampala amendments to the Statute concerning the Crime of Aggression. Furthermore, the Republic of Poland has regularly made annual voluntary contributions to the ICC’s Trust Fund for Victims.
