UN and International Criminal Court sign cooperation agreement

The heads of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC), the first permanent tribunal to try war crimes, today signed an agreement to encourage greater cooperation and consultation between them.

In a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and ICC President Judge Philippe Kirsch signed the agreement, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters.

The agreement recognizes the status and mandate of each organization and outlines that the two institutions will cooperate closely on administrative and judicial matters and consult each other on issues of mutual interest.

Established by the Rome Statute of 1998, the ICC is based in The Hague in the Netherlands and can try cases involving people charged with committing war crimes after 1 July 2002. As of 27 September this year, 97 nations have signed on as members of the Court.