The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that works to prosecute individuals who have committed heinous crimes, like genocide and war crimes. The organization was established in 1998 and became a fully functioning organization with the implementation of the Rome Statute in 2002. From the beginning of the organization; African countries have served as valuable members of the International Criminal Court. Many African leaders pushed for the organization’s founding and today over thirty African nations are members (Roth). However, in recent years, Africans have become restless with the International Criminal Court with some nations, including South Africa, threatening to resign or outright
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The initial optimism to form the ICC by African nations is represented by the ideas of cooperation and mutual gains that come from neoliberal institutionalism. However, as time wore on, cynicism began to grow from African members. This cynicism, I believe, fueled the realist theory decision making that we are seeing currently. I think that the realist theory of international relations best explains why African nations are choosing or threatening to leave the International Criminal Court. Neoliberal Institutionalism is an international relations theory that focuses on the benefits of cooperation between countries. The theory stems from the idea that states are capable of absolute gains if they work in collaboration with each other. The forming of an institution creates a forum for continuous interaction that helps states become more transparent with each other and allows for the fostering of further cooperation both inside and outside of the institution. This theory helps explains why African leaders would want to join on to the ICC. African leaders in the late 1990s and early 2000s signed on to the International Criminal Court, …show more content…
The realist thinking that had little impact on the initial creation of the ICC has now began to take hold in the minds of African leaders. Conversely, the neoliberal institutionalists optimism has worn out its welcome. As previously stated, the International Criminal Court was sold as an organization that facilitated cooperation and allowed from absolute gains to be achieved by all its members per neoliberal institutionalist theory. However, in the years since the Rome Statute; Africans have been able to evaluate the success and failures of the ICC. Today, many Africans have made the determination that the ICC has been a failure and that it is a tool by European powers to advance their agendas (Essa). Realists believe that the ICC is a tool of the great powers and the theory is becoming reality (perception is reality) by the increased view that weak African nations are being targeted by powerful states. Africans argue that the fact that only Africans have been charged under the Rome Statute is proof of the courts underlying motives (Essa). Furthermore, nine of the ten current investigations are against Africans. This perceived targeting as led to Gambia calling the ICC the “International Caucasian Court (Sengupta).” Another point of contention is the lack of participation by the great powers of Russia, China, and the United States (Essa). The United States, for
The initial optimism to form the ICC by African nations is represented by the ideas of cooperation and mutual gains that come from neoliberal institutionalism. However, as time wore on, cynicism began to grow from African members. This cynicism, I believe, fueled the realist theory decision making that we are seeing currently. I think that the realist theory of international relations best explains why African nations are choosing or threatening to leave the International Criminal Court. Neoliberal Institutionalism is an international relations theory that focuses on the benefits of cooperation between countries. The theory stems from the idea that states are capable of absolute gains if they work in collaboration with each other. The forming of an institution creates a forum for continuous interaction that helps states become more transparent with each other and allows for the fostering of further cooperation both inside and outside of the institution. This theory helps explains why African leaders would want to join on to the ICC. African leaders in the late 1990s and early 2000s signed on to the International Criminal Court, …show more content…
The realist thinking that had little impact on the initial creation of the ICC has now began to take hold in the minds of African leaders. Conversely, the neoliberal institutionalists optimism has worn out its welcome. As previously stated, the International Criminal Court was sold as an organization that facilitated cooperation and allowed from absolute gains to be achieved by all its members per neoliberal institutionalist theory. However, in the years since the Rome Statute; Africans have been able to evaluate the success and failures of the ICC. Today, many Africans have made the determination that the ICC has been a failure and that it is a tool by European powers to advance their agendas (Essa). Realists believe that the ICC is a tool of the great powers and the theory is becoming reality (perception is reality) by the increased view that weak African nations are being targeted by powerful states. Africans argue that the fact that only Africans have been charged under the Rome Statute is proof of the courts underlying motives (Essa). Furthermore, nine of the ten current investigations are against Africans. This perceived targeting as led to Gambia calling the ICC the “International Caucasian Court (Sengupta).” Another point of contention is the lack of participation by the great powers of Russia, China, and the United States (Essa). The United States, for