INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE DAY

On 17 July, 2011, the world celebrates International Justice Day, in honour of the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC) - the first and only permanent international court capable of trying perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

International Justice Day is a reminder of the urgency for all States committed to justice to ensure continued support for the Rome Statute's international justice system.

Thirteen years ago on this date, the Rome Statute was adopted by an overwhelming vote of 120 nations. Today, 116 nations have joined the Court and the number keeps growing.

Coalition members are celebrating this day in solidarity with victims of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes through a number of worldwide events.

ABOUT THE COALITION: The Coalition for the International Criminal Court includes 2,500 civil society organisations in 150 different countries working in partnership to strengthen international cooperation with the International Criminal Court; ensure that the Court is fair, effective and independent; make justice both visible and universal; and advance stronger national laws that deliver justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. For more information, see: http://www.coalitionfortheicc.org/

WILLIAM R PACE, CONVENOR, COALITION FOR THE ICC: Mr. William R. Pace has served as the Convenor of the Coalition for an International Criminal Court since its founding in 1995. He is the Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) and is a co-founder and steering committee member of the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect.

He has been engaged in international justice, rule of law, environmental law, and human rights for the past 30 years. He previously served as the Secretary-General of the Hague Appeal for Peace, the Director of the Centre for the Development of International Law, and the Director of Section Relations of the Concerts for Human Rights Foundation at Amnesty International, among other positions.

He is the President of the Board of the Centre for United Nations Reform Education and an Advisory Board member of the One Earth Foundation, as well as the co-founder of the NGO Steering Committee for the United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development and the NGO Working Group on the United Nations Security Council.

He is the recipient of the William J. Butler Human Rights Medal from the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights and currently serves as an Ashoka Foundation Fellow.

Mr. Pace has authored numerous articles and reports on international justice, international affairs and UN issues, multilateral treaty processes, and civil society participation in international decision-making.