The current growing recognition within the United States
of the importance of multilateral collaboration on all fronts
against international crimes offers a new opportunity to underscore
the benefits to the United States of its support of the International
Criminal Court (ICC). The crimes against humanity committed
in the United States on September 11th, 2001 have brought
the relevance of the jurisdiction of the ICC over such vicious
actions to the attention of the entire United States population.
Moreover, since then it has become clear that the long-term
fight against those who perpetrate atrocious crimes demands
global action. Since the attacks, the commitment to the ICC
by governments, NGOs and peoples worldwide has intensified
as they reaffirm that a vigorous international criminal court
is essential to justice and peace. AMICC members intend in
their outreach to American public opinion to make the most
of United States efforts to build an anti-terrorist coalition
and the immense international support for the Court. They
plan to demonstrate to the United States government and public
that their future ability to hold individuals accountable
for the most serious international crimes will be greatly
strengthened by a powerful and effective ICC.
AMICC members believe that with the Court as a permanent
judicial institution and through the emotional power of the
crimes it will try, it will provide important opportunities
to energize the broad but shallow support that the people
of the United States have shown for the Court. Now is the
time to generate the intensity and the committed persistent
action by the public needed to ensure that the US engages
with the ICC from the very beginning. Now that the Court is in full operation and has taken its first case, the US government is forced to decide
what kind of relationship to have with it and how to respond
to the determination of allies of the US to make the Court
a success. The pressure on the United States to come to terms with the Court has been increased now that the UN Security Council has referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC. In a sharp break with its past protestations and policy, the United States abstained on the referral resolution. Coalition members will organize and motivate the
public to demand from both Congress and the Executive Branch
that this decision results in constructive engagement by the
United States with the Court by providing political support;
expertise; and financial, material and technological resources
and by ratifying the Rome Statute as quickly as possible.
AMICC members will work for these goals simultaneously, while
recognizing that they will almost certainly occur separately.
To this end, they have adopted the following strategy.
AMICC members have concluded that the best way to achieve
these goals is to work together as a coalition to join their
diverse membership, resources, and experience in a nationwide
campaign, by incorporating ICC activities into their ongoing programming, while continuing to conduct their own independent
activities reflecting their individual membership interests.
This allows for the coordination of efforts, the avoidance
of duplication or contradiction, and the pooling of expertise
and resources. The diversity of AMICC's membership organizations reflects the diverse interests the Court addresses. Participation as an AMICC member does not require
a financial contribution, but is instead based on a collective
dedication to the Coalition's campaign for full United States
participation in the ICC.
The Coalition has both national and local activities.
It makes a major effort to encourage grassroots activity
in support of the Court. Members therefore facilitate
the formation of local alliances made up of their local membership
and other interested individuals and organizations whose interests
will be forcefully served and advanced by the ICC and thus
by the US relationship with it. These include bar associations,
women's groups, human rights organizations, religious organizations,
veterans' groups, students and young adults, and others. These
groups combine their diverse constituencies to create
local public awareness of and support for the importance of
US cooperation in a strong ICC.
Initiatives that local alliances may promote include:
- Education of the public and members of local government
through the organization of public discussions, the distribution
of fliers, demonstrations, and briefings to members of local
organizations;
- Work to counter misunderstandings or disinformation in
public discussions and media statements through media contacts
and education campaigns on school campuses;
- Polling of local districts, for example by students in
the political science departments of local universities,
in forms compatible with national polls;
- Work with local congressional and state legislative offices;
and
- Integration of the ICC into the existing separate and
joint programs of alliance members.
These locally based activities will complement the work of
the Washington Working Group on the ICC (WICC) in monitoring
congressional and executive branch action on the ICC, and
spreading understanding of the ICC throughout Congress and
the Administration. Since WICC has many members in common with
AMICC, there is effective convergence of the activities
of these organizations.
Nationally, shared member efforts are directed at ensuring
regular media coverage of developments related to the Court
and of the benefits of United States participation; academic
seminars and conferences in collaboration with, for example,
regional law schools and university departments of international
relations, and including leading law experts, state legislators,
journalists, and nationally or internationally recognized
experts; and popular and political events, including conferences
and other gatherings to attract public attention and commitment
to the ICC. Members will also create and disseminate audio-visual
materials that provide a forceful and inspiring demonstration
of why the United States needs the Court. Members integrate
the ICC into their separate and combined national programs
and activities.
To assist them in carrying out their campaign, Coalition
members have created a Secretariat, which is a program of
the United Nations Association of the USA. Comprised of a Convener and Deputy Convener, it supports
and assists members in developing their individual programs
on the ICC and their national campaign for the Court. The
Secretariat disseminates and shares information about the
ICC and ICC-related activities among members, other interested
organizations, member-sponsored local alliances, and the public
at large. To this end, the Secretariat gives presentations
on the ICC upon request to AMICC organizations and their governing
bodies and members. The Secretariat assists AMICC members
and participants in communicating and working together.
AMICC members will continue this strategy, adjusted to the
rapid development of the Court until the United States has
fully joined the International Criminal Court.
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