Press release
Tánaiste announces €1 million contribution to the International Criminal Court
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, announced that Ireland has signed agreements for voluntary contributions - totalling €1 million – to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Under the agreements Ireland will contribute €500,000 to the ICC’s Special Fund for Security. This fund was established last year to upgrade the Court’s physical and cyber security infrastructure in the face of rising threats against the ICC and its staff and cyber attacks on the Court itself.
The remaining €500,000 will be made available to the ICC’s Special Fund for Relocations. This fund assists in protecting witnesses cooperating with the ICC by enabling states that are willing, but do not have the capacity at present, to enter into relocation agreements with the Court.
The fund helps these states to build local capacity to protect witnesses.
Announcing Ireland’s latest voluntary contributions to the ICC, the Tánaiste said:
“Ireland greatly values the vital role of the International Criminal Court in ending impunity for the world’s most heinous crimes. We fully recognise that in carrying out this role it is essential that all state parties to the Rome Statute support and defend it from threats and attacks against its staff and infrastructure and help protect victims and witnesses from intimidation.
“These contributions will help improve the security of the Court and those who cooperate with it. This security is crucial for the successful conduct of the Court’s investigations and prosecutions.”
ENDS
Press Office
02 May 2024
Notes for Editors:
- This €1 million voluntary contribution to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is part of a €3 million voluntary contribution to the ICC announced in November 2023. Then Minister of State for European Affairs Peter Burke announced that the first €1 million of this voluntary contribution will be disbursed to the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor. The decision on how to disburse Ireland’s voluntary contribution in a manner that best supports the mandate of the ICC was made after consultations with Court. Announcements on the disbursement of the remaining €1 million are expected to be made shortly.
- This funding is in addition to the voluntary contribution of €3 million made to the ICC in 2022 and Ireland’s assessed contribution to the Court’s budget, which was €1.5 million in 2024.
- Pursuant to the Financial Regulations and Rules of the ICC, and in order to protect the independence and impartiality of the Court, states cannot earmark voluntary contributions for specific investigations or prosecutions.