UN chief Ban Ki-moon Tuesday made a powerful plea for nations everywhere to end impunity for the world's worst crimes, as he officially opened the new premises of the International Criminal Court. The first permanent headquarters for the ICC, situated on the edge of the sand dunes in The Hague, was "a milestone in global efforts to uphold human rights and the rule of law," Ban Ki-Moon said.
"When civilians are indiscriminately bombed, when rape is used as a weapon of war, when populations are targeted based on ethnicity or faith, when children are forced to carry guns and fight, people can now legitimately expect that the perpetrators will be brought to justice," Ban said. The new building, with state-of-the-art security and surrounded by a water-filled moat, gives the ICC a permanent base just steps from the prison where some of those awaiting trial are held.
In 1998 some 120 nations adopted the Rome Statute establishing the legal framework and basis for the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal. The statute entered into force in 2002. On Tuesday Ban told some 350 VIP guests, including Dutch King Willem-Alexander, that he was increasingly concerned about states and perpetrators who disregard human rights and who commit atrocities. "More should be done to save human lives," Ban said. "Only by their actions can nations and their leaders show that they fully support accountability and an end to impunity.