Crucial conference on International Criminal Court starts Monday

[Nambe]

THE HAGUE (AFP)

The states party to the International Criminal Court, the world's first permanent war crimes court, were due to begin discussing its 2005 budget in the face of continued US opposition to the court. ..

The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), an umbrella organisation of some 2,000 human rights organisations, has rejected the current budget proposals saying that they do not adequately ensure the protection of witnesses or allow victims to participate in the legal procedures.

The assembly of the states parties, which will last until Friday, is taking place in the light of fierce unrelenting US opposition against the ICC.

The Bush administration objects to the ICC claiming it may interfere with global peacekeeping obligations and could be politicised, and has pressed countries to sign bilateral agreements that guarantee that US soldiers cannot be extradited to The Hague if they are prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

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