CYIL 2015

THE UNDERSTANDINGS TO THE ROME STATUTE’S CRIME OF AGGRESSION

THE UNDERSTANDINGS TO THE ROME STATUTE’S

CRIME OF AGGRESSION

Milan Lipovský

Abstract:

Resolution RC/Res. 6, on amending the Rome Statute regarding the crime

of aggression encompasses annex III, consisting of 7 short articles and is called the

“Understandings”. Neither the Rome Statute nor the international treaty law can

satisfactorily determine the status of such a document. Since the Understandings do not

just confirm what the Rome Statute and the amended provisions of this treaty state,

it is necessary to find out the status of the Understandings in order to see whether

the International Criminal Court will be obliged to accept the Understandings as a

binding source of law or not.

Resumé:

Rezoluce RC/Res. 6 o změně Římského statutu ohledně zločinu agrese

zahrnuje rovněž svou přílohu III nazvanou Porozumění, která se skládá ze sedmi

krátkých odstavců. Ani Římský statut, ani mezinárodní smluvní právo uspokojivě

neodpovídají na otázku, jaká je právní závaznost tohoto dokumentu. Jelikož Poro-

zumění nejen pouze potvrzují úpravu obsaženou v Římském statutu a upravova-

ných ustanoveních, je nezbytné zjistit, jaký je statut těchto Porozumění za účelem

objasnění jejich závaznosti coby pramenu práva pro Mezinárodní trestní soud.

Keywords:

Crime of aggression, Kampala reviewconference, Rome Statute, International

Criminal Court.

On the Author:

Mgr. Milan Lipovský is a postgraduate student and lecturer at the

Department of International Law of Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Law.

1. Introduction

The Rome Statute (hereinafter referred to as the “Statute” or the “RS”)

in its

adopted (1998) version predicted that some changes of its own text would need to

take place sooner or later. Its articles 5 (2), 121 to 123 and other provisions refer(red)

to the ways to amend the Statute. The methods and procedures used to amend an

international treaty are generally governed by the Vienna Convention on the Law of

Treaties (hereinafter referred to as the “VCLT”)

and some other rules that the parties

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 2187 UNTS 3, concluded on July 17, 1998, in

force since July 1, 2002.

(Vienna) Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1155 UNTS 331, concluded on May 22, 1969, in force

since January 27, 1980.