The annual side-event in support of the International Criminal Court hosted by Switzerland with a view to strengthening the Court’s role gathered prominent guests, including ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and ICC President Chile Eboe-Osuji, who is to visit Ljubljana next month.

“We need the ICC and the ICC needs us. In its foreign policy, Slovenia is a champion of the rule of law and endorses the prosecution of perpetrators of the most heinous crimes,” said Minister Cerar, noting the country’s annual contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims.

 Slovenia has been actively engaged in drafting a convention on mutual legal assistance, an initiative that has gained support from sixty-nine countries thus far. The future convention will allow for mutual legal assistance and extradition for the most serious international crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The draft text is being finalised before negotiations, to be held in Slovenia in June next year.

Having ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC on 22 November 2001 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 31 December of the same year, Slovenia was one of its first States Parties among the sixty ratifications needed for the Rome Statute to enter into force.