Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor about her announcement on 12 December that she was halting the Court’s investigations into war crimes in Darfur due to a lack of meaningful progress; and what assessment they have made of the implications this may have about the conduct the Sudanese authorities and about the reputation, standing and effectiveness of the International Criminal Court.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said that she is left with no choice but to hibernate investigative activities in Darfur. Although we have not made any direct representations to the Prosecutor on this announcement, the UK continues to call on the Government of Sudan to meet its legal obligations to cooperate with the ICC: the arrest warrants remain outstanding. With respect to the implications of this announcement for the ICC, we continue to assess that State cooperation, in particular with respect to enforcement of arrest warrants, is vital for the ICC to be effective in fulfilling its mandate to achieve justice for the victims of atrocities. I reinforced the UK’s support for the ICC when I met the Prosecutor at the Assembly of States Parties in New York on 12 December.