As we mark the International Criminal Justice Day, the European Union reaffirms its longstanding support towards the international criminal justice system and in particular its unwavering commitment to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as part of the EU’s wider commitment to a rules-based international order.

Last year we marked the 20^th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the ICC by committing to use all our internal and foreign policy tools to support the fight against impunity and to seek justice, as a core element of achieving sustainable peace and security, contributing to rebuild trust and reconciliation among the affected communities. The EU and its Member States will pursue their work towards the universal ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute. The EU and its Member States are committed to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute and to preserve its integrity, as persistent challenges to the international criminal justice constitute a serious obstacle to its full efficiency.

International justice mechanisms are essential to ensure that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole are investigated, perpetrators are brought to justice and victims receive adequate assistance and reparation for the harm suffered. We shall never forget atrocities from the past but rather keep them as part of our collective human memory and determination to prevent future conflicts and genocides. That is why the EU contributes each year to the promotion of international criminal justice with over €38 million since 2014, by supporting the ICC and transitional justice initiatives and mechanisms for numerous countries, such as the international mechanisms in Syria and Myanmar.

Worldwide, the EU contributes to wider justice sector reforms through programmes aimed at complementing and reinforcing national justice systems, and will continue engaging in efforts to support human rights workers, lawyers, prosecutors and all contributors to the international justice system who relentlessly work to bring justice and protect fundamental human rights.