Ukraine and the International Criminal Court

Over time, the international community has worked to establish standards of international justice and create a fully operational, independent, and permanent international judicial body. This institution's primary role is to ensure accountability for individuals accused of the most serious international crimes. The rise in armed conflicts and wars, such as the aftermath of the First and Second World Wars, the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia and the creation of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, as well as conflicts in Rwanda and other regions, has led numerous countries to agree on the inadmissibility of impunity for the most serious crimes and the urgent need to prevent them. At the beginning of the 20th century, this issue became particularly relevant, leading to the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which began its work in July 2002 based on the Rome Statute, whose jurisdiction includes the investigation of crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. The creation of the ICC was a significant event in the history of international law. Ukraine signed the Rome Statute in January 2000, taking the first step towards joining this document, but it has not been ratified to this day. A series of circumstances indicate the importance and inevitability of Ukraine's ratification of this international document. First and foremost, this concerns the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by an aggressor country. The number of victims, the degree, and scope of threats have contributed to the Ukrainian political community's focus on the relevance of ratifying the Rome Statute, which will provide an effective mechanism for holding accountable those responsible for the most serious international crimes committed in Ukraine. The necessity of ratification is also associated with Ukraine's socio-political commitments, as Ukraine has repeatedly declared recognition of fundamental human rights in international documents and pledged to actively promote their observance. In addition, Ukraine has signed and ratified virtually all international instruments whose provisions are reflected in the ICC Statute. The above indicates the need for further research into the interaction between Ukraine and the International Criminal Court and the legal perspectives Ukraine will gain upon the prompt ratification of the Rome Statute.