States Parties and the Court reconvened for a brief informal consultation on the Court’s budget on the morning of 14 December.  

The Assembly approved a programme budget of €187,084,300 for the Court in 2024, which represents an increase of 7.99% compared to the Court’s 2023 approved programme budget, or €13.85 million. The approved budget includes the annual contribution to the host state and interest accrued for the ICC premises, €3.58 million. For 2024, the ICC requested a programme budget of €200,412,100 and the Committee on Budget and Finance (CBF) had recommended States adopt a budget of €188,386,100. While the figure of 7.99% represents one of the higher increases adopted by States in the last several years, inflation has skewed the figure, and in reality, it represents an increase of only a few percentage points over last year’s approved budget.

.Closing of the ASP22 session

The final plenary session of the 22nd session of the ICC-ASP took place in the morning of Thursday 14 December. The final plenary included the consideration and adoption of resolutions, including statement from the Coalition for the ICC.

In addition to the three resolutions adopted the previous day, on Wednesday 13 December, the Assembly adopted the following resolutions by consensus:

1. ICC-ASP/22/Res.4: Resolution of the Assembly of States Parties on the proposed programme budget for 2024, the Working Capital Fund for 2024, the scale of assessment for the apportionment of expenses of the International Criminal Court, financing appropriations for 2024 and the Contingency Fund
2. ICC-ASP/22/Res.5: Resolution on cooperation
3. ICC-ASP/22/Res.6: Review of the International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute system
4. ICC-ASP/22/Res.7: Resolution of the Assembly of States Parties regarding the implementation of the tenure policy
5. ICC-ASP/22/Res.8: Resolution on the election of Members to the Committee on Budget and Finance of the International Criminal Court

The Assembly adopted eight resolutions at ASP22. The reports and final texts of ASP22 Resolutions can be found on the ASP22 website, in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

The Assembly then heard reports from the Credentials Committee, and the session’s report from the Rapporteur (Abdou Ndoye, Senegal), both of which were adopted by consensus.

#NGOVoices deliver closing statement at ASP22

Before the session closed, Virginie Amato, Coalition for the ICC Advocacy Director, delivered a statement, underscoring the crucial role of civil society in the Rome Statute system, calling on the Assembly to continue its work defending and providing space for human rights defenders and civil society facing threats for their work on international justice next year, with genuine and accessible consultations with those most concerned. The Coalition  expressed its regret that the Assembly again failed to set an annual ICC budget that reflects the real and sustained investment needed to support the Court’s global mandate and urged States to reframe the annual budget discussions toward providing the Court adequate and sustainable resources. The Coalition further welcomed the adoption of a permanent due diligence or vetting process for ICC elected officials, and thanked the outgoing ASP leadership and Bureau, and ICC President Hofmański, and congratulated the incoming leadership.

Before closing the ASP22 session, ASP President Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi reflected on her three- year term, and acknowledged all stakeholders involved in creating and supporting the ICC. The ASP President recalled the responsibilities and duties of States Parties to give to the Court the cooperation, resources and protection it needs to be able to deliver timely justice equally, without selectivity - as many during the session raised - in all situations where it is called upon to act.

The Assembly decided to schedule its next session (#ASP23) from 2-7 December 2024, in the Hague, the Netherlands.

For everything you need to know about ASP22:    

• Our webpage on the Assembly of States Parties 2023 with all #ASP22 daily summaries, recommendations from civil society and other ASP22 resources.      

• Calendar with all the side events taking place in the margins of ASP22.   

• Follow all the action on our Twitter account: @ngos4justice