The Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 21 August 2024, with a majority of 281 MPs supporting the ratification law (226 votes required).

This move follows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s submission of the ratification bill (No. 11484) to Parliament on 15 August 2024. According to Iryna Mudra, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, the ratification will enhance the effectiveness of the ICC’s work concerning Ukraine and facilitate bringing Russian citizens to justice for crimes committed on Ukrainian territory.

The ratification of the Rome Statute opens up several important avenues for Ukraine on the international stage. It allows the country to participate in the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC and play a role in shaping ICC policy. Ukraine will now have the right to nominate a candidate for the position of judge and take part in the election of judges and other elected officials, including the ICC prosecutor. Furthermore, Ukraine will have a say in approving the ICC budget allocation, potentially ensuring proper investigation of Russian crimes committed within its borders.

This decision comes at a crucial time, as the ICC has already issued arrest warrants related to Russian aggression, including high-profile figures such as Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, and other Russian generals.

Although Ukraine signed the Statute on 20 January 2000, it had remained unratified for over two decades. After the 2014 EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, the ratification of the Statute became one of the conditions for Ukraine’s EU membership.

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court. It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998 and it  entered into force on 1 July 2002. As of February 2024, 124 states are party to the Statute.

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