What challenges do non-state actors pose to the International Criminal Court ?
Non-state actors present multifaceted challenges to the International Criminal Court (ICC), complicating its mandate to uphold international criminal justice. The legal status and activities of non-state actors, such as multinational corporations, private military and security companies, and non-governmental organizations, introduce complexities due to their quasi-actor status in transnational organized crime, obscure financial flows, and vulnerability to corrupt practices, which can undermine the security of states and the effectiveness of international law. The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute plays a crucial role in the ICC's operations, but concerns have been raised about its potential to unduly influence the ICC's judicial and prosecutorial independence, highlighting the delicate balance between oversight and interference. Diaspora communities, as non-state actors, wield significant soft power, capable of influencing state policies and international relations, thereby challenging traditional theories of international relations and potentially complicating the ICC's engagement with states. Digital platform providers, another category of non-state actors, pose challenges in terms of their duties to preserve and report content relevant to the prosecution of international crimes, revealing gaps in legal mechanisms for ensuring their cooperation. The entrenched state-centric view in international law often overlooks the roles and responsibilities of non-state actors, despite their increasing involvement in areas traditionally reserved for states, such as human rights obligations and participation in armed conflicts. The ICC faces jurisdictional challenges when dealing with nationals of non-state parties, complicated by legal interpretations and political considerations, which can hinder its ability to prosecute individuals responsible for international crimes. Engaging with armed non-state actors (ANSAs) to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law remains a significant challenge due to factors like their fragmented structures and lack of centralized command. The involvement of states with non-state actors in armed conflicts raises questions about state responsibility for actions that violate international law, creating a loophole in the legal framework that states can exploit, thereby undermining the ICC's efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. Finally, the ad-hoc nature of international criminal law's development, influenced by domestic legal systems, introduces variability and potential due process concerns in the ICC's application of law, further complicating its dealings with non-state actors.
Answers from top 8 papers
Papers (8) | Insight |
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1 Citations | Not addressed in the paper. |
1 Citations | Challenges non-state actors pose to the International Criminal Court include jurisdictional issues, Security Council deferral powers, and diplomatic immunity withdrawal debates, hindering effective prosecution. |
Non-state actors pose challenges to the International Criminal Court by necessitating adaptations in norms, institutions, and assumptions to address their human rights obligations effectively. | |
Non-state actors challenge the International Criminal Court by potentially requiring an expanded catalogue of international rights and obligations, impacting the state-centric nature of the current legal system. | |
2 Citations | Non-state actors pose challenges to the International Criminal Court by having the unilateral power to delete crucial evidence, hindering international criminal prosecutions and the preservation of open source evidence. |
17 Jun 2022 | Non-state actors, due to their uncertain legal status and practices, may pose challenges to the International Criminal Court in combating transnational organized crime effectively. |
9 Citations | Non-state actors, like civil society, can moderate the Assembly of States Parties' influence on the ICC's independence through participation, sub judice respect, and an ultra vires doctrine. |
Not addressed in the paper. |