ICC Aggression Definition

The International Criminal Court, the ICC, is an international justice system that MOST of the world supports and takes an active role in. The U.S. despite being an advocate for justice not only does NOT participate but also scorns the ICC and their power. At this very moment there is a proposal going before leaders around the world to give the ICC the power to define and punish acts of aggression, including invasions and preemptive strikes. This only sounds slightly familiar. Many leaders of the world are for giving this decisive power--and another proposal that would allow the ICC to punish countries that use devices that cause "unnecessary suffering"--to the ICC. However, five major powers are against this proposal: Britain and France, both are a part of the ICC, and Russia, China, and the U.S., none of these countries are members. The five major players, all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have the power of veto in the U.N. which have lead some to believe that they P5 are trying to limit the ICC so that it does not have more power than them. This is just the beginning but there is a positive pattern that shows that the proposal might succeed even without support from the P5, or at least that is what many countries are hoping for.

Submitted By: Albie Braun