International Criminal Court statute enters force; Annan hails 'historic' occasion

As the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court entered into force yesterday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the "historic" creation of the world's first permanent forum for trying individuals responsible for war crimes as a powerful tool for prosecuting and preventing atrocities, A UN report said.

The entry into force of the ICC's Statute "reaffirms the centrality of the rule of law in international relations," said Mr. Annan in a statement released in New York, adding that the Hague-based Court "holds the promise of a world in which the perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are prosecuted when individual States are unable or unwilling to bring them to justice." the UN report said.

Annan encouraged other countries to join the ICC saying "There must be no relenting in the fight against impunity or in our efforts to prevent genocide and the other horrendous crimes that fall under the Court's jurisdiction," the report added.