Päivi Kaukoranta elected as President of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court
Ambassador Päivi Kaukoranta from Finland was elected as President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for a mandate from 2024 to 2026.
“The ICC is an important element of the multilateral rules-based system. It is the only permanent international criminal court that can hold accountable perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, regardless of their official status. The Assembly of States Parties brings the state parties together to discuss how the ICC could be strengthened and developed,” Kaukoranta says.
The ICC, seated in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. It is governed by the Rome Statute, adopted 25 years ago.
The Assembly of States Parties is responsible for developing and amending the regulation governing the ICC, especially the Rome Statute. In addition, the Assembly decides the budget and oversees the management of the ICC. It also elects the ICC’s judges, prosecutors and deputy prosecutors.
“Finland has always been strongly committed to the ICC. It is a pleasure and honour to be elected for a position where I can support the important cooperation between the Court and the States parties.”
Päivi Kaukoranta joined the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1989. She has served as Director General of the Ministry’s Legal Service and as Finland’s Ambassador in The Hague, among other positions. She is currently Director of the National Security Authority at the Foreign Ministry.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
- The Court, seated in The Hague, started its work in 2002. So far, 124 countries are parties to the Rome Statute.
- The ICC has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute individuals charged with the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
- The ICC is not part of the UN structure, but the two organisations work closely together.
- Finland has been supporting the ICC since the beginning.
- Erkki Kourula from Finland served as Judge of the ICC from 2003 to 2015.