Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, will travel to the Republic of Ghana to participate in a high-level retreat on the Kampala Amendments and International Criminal Justice, scheduled to take place from 19 to 21 May 2025.
The Retreat will bring together Ministers of Justice and senior officials from all 33 African States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC), alongside representatives from the ICC Presidency, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), the ICC Trust Fund for Victims, senior African Union officials, and international legal experts.
The event follows the successful pilot retreat in Johannesburg in October of 2024 which raised awareness and fostered a sense of ownership among African States Parties to advocate for a crime of aggression regime that is both fair and legitimate, and began the process of an amendment proposal being submitted by African States.
The Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression are a set of legal changes adopted in 2010 at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), held in Kampala, Uganda.
These amendments define the Crime of Aggression and establish the conditions under which the ICC can exercise jurisdiction over it.
An act of aggression includes using armed force by one state against another in violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter, such as, invasion, military occupation, annexation by force, bombardment, or blockade.
The meeting in Johannesburg laid the groundwork for an Africa-led amendment proposal and reaffirmed the continent’s commitment to a fair and legitimate international criminal justice framework.
South Africa remains a committed advocate for international legal accountability.
Minister Kubayi’s participation highlights the country’s support for multilateralism, the fight against impunity, and the advancement of an inclusive and balanced global justice system.
Organised in collaboration with the Ministries of Justice of Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Accra retreat will build on the Johannesburg outcomes and further deliberate on the amendment proposal submitted by the Group of Friends (GoF).
The goal is to finalise a unified African position on the Kampala Amendments ahead of discussions at the Assembly of States Parties.
The Ministry welcomes this opportunity for meaningful engagement and continental collaboration as African States continue to shape a credible and effective international criminal justice system.
Media enquiries:
Terrence Manase, spokesperson to the Minister
Cell: 082 338 6707
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