The South African delegation to the annual meeting of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court, led by Mr Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, welcomed the election of Ms Fatou Bensouda as the Court’s new prosecutor on Monday, 12 December 2011 in New York.
Ms Bensouda is a former Minister of Justice of Gambia and presently the Court’s Deputy Prosecutor. Ms Bensouda was appointed by acclaim after she emerged as a consensus candidate. A search committee process, on which South Africa represented the Africa region, interviewed a number of candidates with a view of finding the most suitable and best qualified person.
In congratulating Ms Bensouda on her election, Deputy Minister Nel, welcomed the fact that the position of prosecutor will be filled by an African woman.
He recalled that African states were amongst the strongest proponents of the establishment of International Criminal Court that an African state, Senegal, was the first state in the world to ratify the Rome Statute and that Africa remains the largest regional bloc of member states with 33 of the 120 States Parties. Five of the 18 judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are from Africa.
Her election is also significant in light of the fact that several investigations and prosecutions with respect to crimes committed in African states.
Deputy Minister Nel reiterated South Africa's support for the International Criminal court and struggle against impunity and its commitment to honour its legal obligations under the Rome Statute, which has been incorporated into South African domestic law by the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Act 27 of 2002.
The Assembly will also fill six vacancies for judges in the court as well as considering reports on the functioning of various aspects of the court's work and approving its budget.
The Assembly of States Parties is being held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 12 - 22 December 2011.
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Media release by Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development on the Election of Ms Fatou Bensouda as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, 12 December 2011
