US boycotts informal UN meeting on ICC's 20th anniversary [View all]
Source: Associated Press
Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press
Updated 6:01 pm CDT, Friday, July 6, 2018
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — An informal U.N. Security Council meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of the statute that created the International Criminal Court was boycotted Friday by the United States, which is not a party to the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal.
There is no requirement that the 15 council members attend informal meetings, but it is rare for a member to boycott, especially a veto-wielding permanent member like the United States. Russia and China, also permanent members that don't support the ICC, attended the session along with other opponents and spoke.
A U.S. official told The Associated Press that the Trump administration decided not to participate "after careful consideration."
"We recently noted concerns about any potential ICC investigation of U.S. personnel related to the situation in Afghanistan," said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. "Other aspects of our policy are under review."
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/US-boycotts-informal-UN-meeting-on-ICC-s-20th-13055163.php
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