The International Criminal Court is the first permanent, treaty based, court of its kind. Governed by the Rome Statute, its mandate is to try persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It is an independent international organisation and not part of the UN system.

The AMUNC 2012 International Criminal Court will encompass both the judicial and political dimensions of the ICC. The first, judicial aspect, will see delegates play the role of judges in a hypothetical situation referred to the Court. Delegates will consider the various legal issues and merits of the case through hearing and responding to submissions by Counsel, discussion and judgment deliberation to arrive at a formal written opinion. The political dimension takes places through an Assembly of States Parties, where delegates will roleplay diplomatic representatives of states which have signed and ratified the Rome Statute.

Topics:
Hypothetical: The prosecution of Benyamin Netanyahu
The recent war between Lebanon and Israel brought with it questions of legality under the Law of Armed Conflict. Delegates are asked to consider whether, in light of the events and the subsequent UN inquiry, Israeli president Benyamin Netanyahu was guilty of any crimes prosecutable by the Court.

The prosecution of Bashar al-Assad
Syria has been a late bloomer in the so called Arab-spring uprisings. However, it has also been one of the most violent. Syrian President al-Assad is purported to have instructed the army to respond with significant force and an alleged 6,000 civilians/insurgents had been killed by January 2012. Delegates must consider, in light of the known facts whether crimes have been committed by Mr al-Assad that are prosecutable by the Court.

External links:

Official ICC website