US seeks renewal of exemption from world criminal court

The United States is seeking a renewal of exemption from the International Criminal Court (ICC)for its soldiers participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions or those authorized by the world body.

The UN Security Council is due to hold a formal meeting on a draft resolution presented by the United States for the renewal on Friday, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters on Thursday.

The resolution would request the ICC, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, not to proceed with investigations or prosecutions of peacekeepers from countries that have not yet ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC.

The council first gave US peacekeepers such impunity for one year in July 2002 by adopting Resolution 1422, after the United States threatened to veto UN peacekeeping operations. The impunitywas renewed for another one year in 2003.

Diplomats here predicted the 15-nation council was expected to do the same on Friday, but said some countries could abstain due to prisoner abuses by US troops in Iraq.

The ICC, which currently has 94 state parties, started to function in March 2003. It is the first permanent world court capable of trying individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national courts are unwilling or unable to do so.

Source: Xinhua