Grenada deposits Instrument of Accession to ICC

NEW YORK, May 19, 2011 – Grenada became the 115^th nation to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Her Excellency Ambassador Dessima Williams, Permanent Representative to the United Nations on Thursday deposited Grenada’s Instrument of Accession to the Rome Statute of the ICC at a small ceremony at the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations in New York.

Grenada’s accession brings to 26, the number of States Parties of the ICC in Latin America and the Caribbean and the last among the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Only The Bahamas, Haiti and Jamaica in the Caribbean have not joined the ICC.

Ambassador Williams said: “The Government of Grenada is very pleased to join with many other CARICOM countries as well as 114 other members of the United Nations in acceding to this statute.”

“We look forward to being a very vigorous participant in the implementation of the Court to the extent that we could therefore bring about greater international law and order in the service of humanity for justice, for rights and for the efficient and legal administration of international affairs,” said Ambassador Williams.

His Excellency Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, Permanent Representative of the Principality of Liechtenstein and President of the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC welcomed Grenada’s accession to the Court and appealed to the remaining CARICOM states to join the ICC family.

“On behalf of 114 states that have so far made up this assembly it’s a great honour to welcome you (Grenada) as the 115^th member to this assembly and that’s a very important further step on our part towards a universalisation of this Court,” he said.

“We are looking forward toward welcoming the three remaining states of CARICOM also as part of the ICC family.

The Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) said that Grenada’s accession confirms and reinforces the Caribbean’s important role in making the ICC a lasting and effective reality.

Also attending Thursday’s ceremony were Gabrielle Goettsche-Wanli of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN; Consul General Derrick James; Consellor (Grenada) Marguerite St John-Sebastian; Counsellor (Trinidad and Tobago) Cherry-Ann Millard-White; Attaché (Grenada) Tricia Keens-Douglas; Programme Director, Coalition for the ICC, Jelena Pia-Comella; Regional Programme Assistant, CICC, Tania Deigni and Programme Associate, Parliamentarians for Global Action, Leyla Nikjou.