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United States President Donald Trump has called on countries that are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to withdraw from the institution, describing the court as “out of control” during his address to world leaders at the United Nations.
Trump criticised the ICC’s authority and urged member states to leave the court, saying, “I call on all nations that are members of the ICC to officially resign from this rogue institution immediately.”
The ICC, established by the Rome Statute in 2002, investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. The court has 124 member states, while some major powers, including the United States, Israel, Russia and China, are not parties to the statute that created it.
Trump said Washington would not accept investigations or legal proceedings against American citizens or military personnel by a court he described as lacking jurisdiction over the United States.
“The United States is equally opposed to the out-of-control institution known as the International Criminal Court,” he said.
The remarks come after growing tensions between Washington and the ICC following the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a move that has drawn criticism from the United States and Israel.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also criticised the court, saying Washington would work to dismantle what he described as a threat to US sovereignty. The United States has previously imposed sanctions on ICC officials linked to investigations involving American and allied personnel.
The ICC has maintained that its work is focused on accountability for serious international crimes, while critics have questioned its jurisdiction and reach, particularly when cases involve countries that are not members of the court.
