PORT OF SPAIN DECLARATION ON THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

DELEGATIONS to the Intergovernmental Regional Caribbean Conference for the Signature and Ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court:

Acknowledging the role played by the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Arthur N. R. Robinson, T.C., O.C.C., S.C., as one of the first and most effective advocates for the establishment of a permanent International Criminal Court;

Welcoming the adoption of the Rome Statute on 17 July 1998 establishing a permanent International Criminal Court which will be an impartial, independent and effective mechanism to bring to justice individuals accused of the most serious crimes under international law;

Welcoming the partnership of Governments, International Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations working towards the common goal of international justice;

Noting that the First Session of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court, established by the Final Act of the Rome Diplomatic Conference, was held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 16 to 26 February 1999;

Noting that at the Rome Diplomatic Conference CARICOM States signed the Final Act and that the Rome Statute to date has been signed by 77 States, including members of CARICOM, and ratified by the Republic of Senegal;

Noting that in order for the International Court to be operative at the start of the new millenium the Rome Statute requires the deposit by sixty States of their instruments of acceptance, approval or ratification;

Acknowledging that the matter has been considered by the Legal Affairs Committee of CARICOM at its Third Special Meeting held in Port of Spain on 25 to 30 January 1999, where it was recognised that for CARICOM to influence development with regard to the International Criminal Court, Member States must sign and ratify the Rome Statute;

Thanking the Ministry of the Attorney General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and No Peace Without Justice, with the contribution of the Open Society Institute and the Transnational Radical Party, for co-sponsoring this Inter-Governmental Regional Caribbean Conference for the Signature and Ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court;

DECLARE AS FOLLOWS:

Their commitment to promote participation in the sessions of the Preparatory Commission;

Their commitment to work to ensure the integrity of the Rome Statute;

Their commitment to make every effort to give recognition to the decision of the Legal Affairs Committee of CARICOM to sign the Rome Statute by their respective States;

Their commitment to pursue the process of ratification of the Rome Statute by their respective States within the shortest possible time; and

Their commitment to encourage all States, members of the International Community to sign and ratify the Rome Statute.

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Hon. Basdeo Panday, M.P.
Prime Minister
Trinidad and Tobago

Hon. Anthony La Ronde
Attorney General
Dominica

Hon. Lawrence Albert Joseph
Attorney General
Grenada

Hon. Charles Ramson, S.C., M.P.
Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs
Guyana

Hon. Petrus Compton
Attorney General
St. Lucia

Honourable Wilfred Von der San
Deputy Attorney General
Suriname

Mr. Charles Leacock
Director of Public Prosecutions
Barbados

Mr. Max Eilbert
Director General of the Ministry
of Justice and Public Safety
Haiti

Mr. Donald Brown
Solicitor General
St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Mr. Sheldon Mc Donald
Special Advisor to the Attorney General
Jamaica