John Odyek
15 May 2008
Kampala — THE International Criminal Court has sent a five-member team to assess facilities in Kampala for hosting a conference of the 105 member states.
The leader of the delegation of the Assembly of State Parties, Ambassador Rolf Einar Fife, said yesterday the review meeting would require substantial funding from the Government, while the UN court would give some money. This was during a meeting between the team and government officials at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs offices in Kampala.
Fife and five others are on a three-day visit to inspect facilities and meet Ugandan officials as part of a process to decide whether the country could host the conference.
Uganda applied in 2007 to host the meeting that is expected to bring together between 1,500 to 2,000 delegates from the partner states and international NGOs.
The Rome Statute established the war crimes court in July 2002.
In the review scheduled for 2010, the members will consider amendments to the statute, specifically in connection with the list of crimes within the court's jurisdiction.
They will also discuss the definition of the crime of aggression, drug trafficking and terrorism.
Uganda, Fife stated, must show that it has or it could acquire modern facilities for computerised voting for over 190 delegates.
She added that the country must provide interpreters for six international languages used in the UN and must have domesticated the Rome Statute.
The deputy Attorney General, Frederick Ruhindi, said Uganda was ready because the funds would be provided and Parliament was due to pass the ICC Bill to domesticate the Rome Statute.
"We need to host the conference because it will make people understand how the ICC works. Besides, we have had a good relationship with the court.
"CHOGM was here and soon we shall host the Organisation of Islamic Conference. Our hotels are ready for the guests."
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