The International Bar Association (IBA) has urged countries that are yet to recognise the authority of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ratify the 1998 treaty that established the court's jurisdiction.


So far, 105 states have ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC.



The IBA's council unanimously passed a resolution, making the call at the association's annual conference last week in Singapore, which was attended by more than 3,500 lawyers. It also called on member bars and law societies to encourage their governments to act.



IBA executive director Mark Ellis said: 'The IBA council, in making this call, is emphasising the need to hold those who have committed terrible atrocities accountable under the law. The ICC provides the framework to do this for all parts of the world where domestic systems are not considered sufficiently resourced or robust.



'The court forms a new keystone in the arch of international justice and we do not believe that any citizen of any country should remain without its protection.'



Meanwhile, Congolese national Germain Katanga, known as Simba, this week became only the second person to appear before the ICC. He was surrendered to the court last week by the Congolese authorities.