ICC advocacy in the US occurs on two levels: efforts to educate members of Congress and administration officials in Washington, DC and locally directed efforts to inform the American public and create grassroots pressure for a closer US relationship with the Court.
AMICC supports and promotes grassroots activity in support of the Court, including the formation of local alliances of individuals and organizations whose interests will be served and advanced by the ICC and thus by the US relationship with it. Local ICC alliances combine their diverse constituencies to create local public awareness of and support for the importance of US cooperation in a strong ICC.
International Justice Day in New York, July 17, 2010. Hannah Dunphy/AMICC.
AMICC's partner coalition, the Washington Working Group on the ICC (WICC), is the driving force behind the Washington advocacy campaign. Due to the realization that, while indispensable, efforts directed solely toward the Capital are not enough to attract the level of government attention and support needed to rebut the prevalent misinformation and disinformation circulating among our leaders and move this issue forward, AMICC was conceived to build a vocal ICC constituency around the US.
Why Should the US Support the ICC?
- The ICC is the legacy of more than 50 years of work, from the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials after World War II to the current ad hoc UN criminal tribunals, spearheaded by the US to promote justice through law.
- Being part of the ICC would give the US a stronger voice and credibility in developing future legal standards.
- The Court protects American servicemembers by pressing foreign military powers to uphold the same standard of conduct the US has always imposed on itself - standards that protect American servicemembers in combat.
- By joining the Court, the US would be able to take advantage of the many benefits for ICC States Parties, including nominating for election a judge on the Court.
- The ICC could help promote US foreign policy national security interests through the arrest and prosecution of persons who commit atrocity crimes - genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - and thereby threaten international peace and security.
How Can I Advocate for the ICC in the US?
Please consider working with AMICC help further the cause of the ICC in the United States. We welcome new member organizations committed to the ICC and NGOs and activists working locally in support of the Court.
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