Day of International Criminal Justice (17 July 2025)

On this Day of International Criminal Justice, which marks the anniversary of the adoption of the treaty that established the International Criminal Court, France reaffirms its staunch commitment to the worldwide fight against impunity.

France reiterates its commitment to promoting and protecting international law, of which the ICC – the only permanent, universal international court – is a linchpin. It has pledged to promote this Court’s impendence, impartiality, effectiveness and universality.

We commend the work carried out by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which has made it possible to prosecute and judge the perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. We recognize the vital contribution of hybrid courts and tribunals – among them the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic and their predecessors – to the fight against impunity. These international courts, which work alongside national courts, help meet our shared goal of obtaining justice for the victims of the most serious crimes, preventing those crimes and supporting the reconciliation process.