Towards universal justice : why countries in the Asia-Pacific region should embrace the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court has been operating since July 2002 and is now entering its judicial phase of activities. Coupled with this, as the number of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court grows, the importance of the Court as a mechanism of international justice is further highlighted. Despite this momentum, the number of ratifications by countries of the Asia-Pacific region has been relatively small. There are a number of possible reasons suggested in this paper for this general lack of enthusiasm for the Court, particularly in the early years of its existence. However, this paper argues that there are tangible benefits for countries in the Asia-Pacific to embrace the Court and become an active State Party to the Statute, and encourages these countries to give this matter serious consideration.