In the span of two months, five States, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Venezuela, and Chad, have announced their withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which will take effect one year after their notification is deposited with the United Nations (UN). The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), together with more than 133 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), calls on States Parties, international and regional organisations, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and civil society to mount a collective response to halt these withdrawals and stand against the new US campaign, to preserve victims’ and survivors’ access to justice and reparations. 

In September 2025, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso announced their intention to withdraw from the ICC. The three countries, members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), formally notified UN Secretary-General António Guterres of their withdrawal from the Rome Statute in June 2026. They have accused the ICC, among other things, of pursuing a selective prosecutorial policy against the Global South. On Friday, 24 July 2026, Venezuela also announced that it had notified the Secretary-General of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute. This was followed on Monday, 27 July, by Chad, whose decision has reportedly been linked to a US request to review its membership to the Court. 

The withdrawals by Venezuela and Chad come amid a renewed US campaign to “dismantle the ICC brick by brick” in order to prevent any investigation or prosecution of US nationals and their allies, including Israel. This campaign includes diplomatic pressure urging States to withdraw from the Rome Statute and threatening to reduce or withdraw foreign and security assistance from countries that continue to support the Court. The objective of this campaign is clear: to secure impunity for international crimes committed by the United States and its allies. 

These are critical times: victims of the most serious crimes need effective access to justice more than ever, yet the ICC, its judges and organisations cooperating with it are under unprecedented and sustained attack. In this context, any disengagement from the ICC weakens the fight against impunity, undermines the prevention of the gravest crimes, and erodes victims’ rights to justice, truth, and reparations. 

Withdrawals not only create safe havens for ICC fugitives, they also increase the risks of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide being committed with impunity on the territory of withdrawing States or by their nationals, gravely limiting the possibility of justice for victims. Furthermore, they undermine cooperation with the Court, including access to victims and witnesses, and the arrest and surrender of alleged perpetrators. 

The CICC and undersigned organisations recognise the necessity of ensuring fairness in the international criminal justice system, safeguarding judicial independence, and truthfully addressing concerns about selectivity in the administration of justice. It is equally important to ensure those allegedly responsible for international crimes are held to account, regardless of their nationality.  Yet, these withdrawals come at a time when the Office of the Prosecutor has significantly expanded the geographical scope of its investigations beyond Africa, including in Palestine, the Philippines, Ukraine, Myanmar/Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and elsewhere. Furthermore, it has sought arrest warrants against leaders of powerful States and their allies, notably the Russian and Israeli Heads of State, and charges were recently confirmed against the former Filipino Head of State. Concerns regarding selectivity should be addressed through constructive dialogue within the Assembly of States Parties and, mindful of its fully independent mandate, the Court, rather than through unilateral withdrawals. 

The CICC and the undersigned organisations urge Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Venezuela, and Chad to reverse their decisions by immediately withdrawing their notifications, following Hungary’s example earlier this year. They also urge the United States to halt its campaign, revoke the sanctions, and stop its attacks against the independence of justice. 

Victims and survivors deserve concrete progress towards accountability, truth and reparations, and must be supported in their quest for justice. The promise made to victims nearly 30 years ago in Rome that impunity would no longer be the norm cannot be derailed by one State, no matter how powerful. The international community must discharge its duty to safeguard that promise, for the benefit of victims, survivors and humanity. 

To this end, the signatories call for: 

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Venezuela, and Chad to:  

• Revoke their notifications of withdrawal before the expiration of the one-year period provided for under Article 127 of the Rome Statute. 
• Maintain their engagement and full cooperation with the ICC, including ensuring access to victims and witnesses in their territory, and the arrest and surrender of suspects.

The United States to:  

• Immediately halt its campaign against the ICC, revoke all ICC-related sanctions, and stop its attacks against the independence of justice. 

State Parties and regional organisations to:  

• Intensify diplomatic efforts, individually and through regional organisations and groupings, to seek withdrawal of the current notifications; prevent further withdrawals; reaffirm that concerns about the ICC’s prosecutorial policy should be addressed through dialogue and cooperation; and support States that are most vulnerable to the US campaign. 
• Denounce the unlawful US sanctions and campaign against the ICC and those cooperating with it publicly and firmly, and reaffirm their support for the Rome Statute system, both individually and collectively through the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), regional organisations, and at the UN General Assembly. 
• Continue to engage bilaterally with the US Administration to call for an end to the campaign, the revocation of existing sanctions and no further designations. 
• Support and protect national coalitions, civil society organisations and human rights defenders working to advance international justice, particularly in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, and Chad, and those targeted with unlawful sanctions. 
• Publicly and clearly oppose any initiatives aimed at weakening the Court, including attempts to amend the Rome Statute to limit its jurisdiction or independence and attempts to influence prosecutorial priorities, including efforts to sideline specific investigations, such as Venezuela, Afghanistan, or Palestine. 
• Not bow to political pressure or campaigns aimed at undermining the independence of the Court when exercising their voting rights in the ASP. 
• Continue cooperating fully with the ICC and comply with their  international obligations, including by arresting and surrendering to the Court any person subject to an ICC arrest warrant, without selectivity. 

The International Criminal Court to:  

• Continue reaffirming, through the Office of the Prosecutor, that its prosecutorial policy is guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, and non-selectivity; continue investigating and prosecuting those most responsible for international crimes regardless of their nationality; and communicate, where appropriate, the progress of its work in ongoing investigations to reinforce deterrence and maintain victims’ confidence in international justice. 
• Reaffirm that the withdrawals do not affect the Court’s jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed prior to the effective date of withdrawal.
• Intensify its outreach efforts, including in preliminary examination countries, to counter misinformation, prevent further violations, deter the commission of further crimes, and continue its engagement with victims and affected communities to sustain their confidence in international justice. 

Signatories

Civil society organisations: 

1. A World Without Chemical and Biological Weapons (WWW) 
2. Action des Chrétiens Activistes des Droits de l’Homme à Shabunda (ACADHOSHA) 
3. Afghanistan Organisation for Development of Human Rights 
4. African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies 
5. African Initiatives for a Democratic World Order 
6. Al-Haq 
7. Association Nationale de l’Alphabetisation et la Formation de Adultes (ANAFA) 
8. Anfal Stories Organization 
9. APDHE, Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España 
10. The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP) and the Arab Coalition for the International Criminal Court (ACICC) 
11. Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) 
12. L’Action pour la Réforme de la Justice et la Promotion des Droits de l’Homme (ARJPDH) 
13. Association Cultures du Monde 
14. Association démocratique des femmes du Maroc 
15. Association for Urban Safety and Mediation (ASUM) 
16. Association Marocaine des Droits Humains (AMDH) 
17. Australian Centre for International Justice 
18. Avocats Sans Frontières 
19. Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) 
20. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) 
21. Center for Civil Liberties 
22. Center for Clean and Green Governance (CCGG) 
23. Center for Truth and Justice 
24. Centre Libanais des droits humains – CLDH 
25. Children Education Society (CHESO), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 
26. Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center (CLRDC) 
27. Citizens’ Assembly (Yurttaşlık Derneği) 
28. Citizens for Global Solutions 
29. Club des Amis du Droit du Congo (CAD) 
30. Coalition Burundaise pour la Cour Pénale Internationale 
31. Coalition de l’Afrique Francophone pour la CPI 
32. Coalition for the Prevention of Hazara Genocide (CPHG) 
33. Coalition Guinéenne pour la Cour Pénale Internationale (CGCPI) 
34. Collectif des Avocats pour la défense des Victimes de crimes de droit International commis au Burundi (CAVIB) 
35. Colombes de la Nature / CDN 
36. Colombian Commission of Jurists 
37. Comisión de Derechos Humanos de El Salvador (CDHES) 
38. Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) 
39. COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding 
40. Corporación Sisma Mujer 
41. Darfur Call 
42. Darfur Women Action Group 
43. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) 
44. Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past 
45. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) 
46. Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) 
47. EuroMed Rights 
48. European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) 
49. Exodus Charity Organization 
50. Federación de asociaciones de defensa y promoción de derechos humanos 
51. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) 
52. Baltasar Garzon International Foundation (FIBGAR) 
53. Finnish League for Human Rights 
54. Fondation Congolaise pour la promotion des droits humains et la Paix (FOCDP) 
55. Forum tunisien pour les droits economiques et sociaux 
56. Foundation Sunflowers 
57. Global Initiative Against Impunity (GIAI) 
58. Global Justice Center 
59. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor 
60. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights / Serbia 
61. Holistic Empowerment for Development 
62. Human Rights and Humanitarian Development Initiatives (HRHDI) 
63. Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD) 
64. Human Rights Center (ZMINA) 
65. Human rights movement Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan 
66. Human Rights Now 
67. Human Rights Online Philippines (HRonlinePH) 
68. Human Rights Watch 
69. Humanitarian Law Center 
70. Hūmānus 
71. Ican Kurdistan Network (IKN) 
72. ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions 
73. Imparsial, the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor 
74. Initiatives pour la paix et les droits humains 
75. Institute for Environmental Security 
76. International Commission of Jurists, Kenyan Section (ICJ Kenya) 
77. International Community Care e. V 
78. International Legal Initiative (ILI) 
79. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) 
80. Iranian Center for International Criminal Law (ICICL) 
81. Just Access e.V. 
82. Justice Call 
83. Kenya Human Rights Commission 
84. Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group 
85. Kurdish organizations Network coalition for the International Criminal court (KONCICC) 
86. Kurdistan organizations Network to Abolish Nuclear and Mass Destruction Weapons – KONW 
87. Kurdistan without Genocide 
88. Kurdocide watch – Chak Kurdistan 
89. Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada 
90. League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) 
91. Life campaign to abolish the death sentence in Kurdistan Network 
92. Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens 
93. Ligue Burundaise des droits de l’homme Iteka 
94. Ligue pour la paix, les droits de l’Homme et la Justice (LIPADHOJ) 
95. Manawa Organization For Martyrs & Anfal’s Inquiry 
96. MARUAH (Working Group for ASEAN Human Rights Mechanisms, Singapore) 
97. Network of Families of the Disappeared, Nepal 
98. No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) 
99. Norwegian Council for Tolerance & Peace  
100. Nürnberger Menschenrechtszentrum 
101. Organisation marocaine des droits humains 
102. Organization Against Weapons of Mass Destruction in Kurdistan 
103. Organization of the Justice Campaign (OJC) 
104. Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) 
105. Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO) 
106. Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) 
107. Platform for Peace and Humanity 
108. Programa Venezolano de Educación Acción en Derechos Humanos (PROVEA) 
109. Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI) 
110. Public Association “Dignity” 
111. African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO) 
112. REDRESS 
113. Refugees in Libya – APS 
114. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) / Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) / Reporteros Sin Fronteras (RSF) 
115. Réseau Equitas Côte d’Ivoire 
116. Stand up for Africa 
117. Students for Global Democracy Uganda 
118. Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO) 
119. Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS) 
120. Synergy for Justice 
121. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) 
122. TRIAL International 
123. Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union 
124. Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group (ULAG) 
125. United Nations Association of Sweden 
126. Viasna, Human Rights Center 
127. Vision GRAM-International 
128. Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ) 
129. World Without Genocide 
130. Youth Compassion for Humanity Uganda 
131. Youth For Peace And Dialogue between cultures 
132. Youth Initiative for Human Rights 
133. Zarga organization for rural development

Individuals:  

1. Abdul Nabi Alekry, Advisor, Bahrain Human Rights Organization 
2. Andreas Bummel, Executive Director, Democracy Without Borders 
3. Alaa Shalaby, Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR)
4. Asiya Arif, Executive Director, Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) 
5. Enid H. Adler, Attorney-at-Law, Sole Practitioner 
6. Gunal Kursun, Spokesperson of the Turkish Coalition for the ICC 
7. Hernando Valencia-Villa, Independent Jurist 
8. Inès N’GOPOT, Journalist and Member of the Association des Journalistes pour la Cour Pénale Internationale 
9. Kaja Kowalczewska, Postdoctoral Researcher, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
10. Kelly Matheson, U.S. Attorney Specialized in international human rights
11. Maria Appelblom, Former Chief of UN Standing Police Capacity 
12. Maysa Ayoub, Assistant Professor, The American University in Cairo 
13. Mody Watt, Secretary General, l’Organisation Nationale des Droits de l’Homme (ONDH), Sénégal 
14. Rebecca Shoot, Co-Convener, Washington Working Group for the ICC 
15. Terje Einarsen, Professor of International Law, Chairperson ICJ Norway 
16. Thomas Verfuss, Founding president of the Association of Journalists at the ICC (AJICC-AJCPI)