Overview by Filipe Gomes Dias Costa, Research Associate PILPG NL
During the 9thplenary meeting of the 17thAssembly of States Parties on 10 December 2018 the (co-)facilitators of various Working Groups gave their updates concerning relevant developments.
For the working group on budget, consensus was not yet reached on outstanding matters before the then upcoming working session this early afternoon. The Chair, H.E. Jens-Otto Horslund (Denmark) underscored the role that informal negotiations may play in solving the current deadlock.
Similarly, the facilitator of the omnibus resolution highlighted the lack of consensus hitherto regarding paragraphs outstanding. Consensus is expected to be reached by the afternoon after closer negotiations with key States Parties.
The credentials committee forwarded its interim report on the accreditation for the ASP in order to reach its conclusion in the following sessions.
Representatives of States Parties publicized draft resolutions before the ASP. The co-facilitators for the working group on cooperation, France and Senegal, submitted a draft resolution on cooperation, taking note of the importance of civil society participation within the Court and commending the role played by expert witness. This resolution has reached consensus in its working group. Facilitator of the working group on amendments, Mexico, submitted a draft resolution proposing amendments to Article 26 of the Rome Statute in order to align the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the Court with the mandate of the Independent Oversight Mechanism concerning the receipt and admissibility of complaints by the IOM. This draft also possesses consensus within its working group. Lastly, the facilitator for the resolution on the remuneration of judges, Ecuador, submitted a draft resolution on the revision of judges’ remuneration, remarking the existence of consensus in the matter after eight meetings of the working group.