ICC leaders say US pressure campaign threatens global rule of law

The current and former presidents of the International Criminal Court’s governing body say the Trump administration’s efforts to diplomatically isolate the ICC are meant to erode confidence in the international legal order, not just the court itself. In a joint op-ed, Paivi Kaukoranta and seven former presidents argue the ICC reflects a collective sovereign decision to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, and stress that it is intended as a court of last resort rather than a replacement for national justice systems. They reject claims that participating in international courts undermines state sovereignty, saying treaty involvement is an exercise of sovereignty. The warnings come as Washington sanctions ICC judges and officials and pressures countries to distance themselves from the Rome Statute, prompting lawsuits and concern among some U.S. allies. The op-ed also frames the wider stakes as whether international law applies through the rule of law or is determined by political power. Overall, the ICC leaders present the administration’s campaign as part of a broader retreat from multilateralism and a push toward “might makes right.”