The leadership of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute recently expressed profound apprehension regarding the stated intent of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This potential departure, the ASP presidency warned, could significantly undermine global endeavors to combat impunity.
In an official statement, ASP President Päivi Kaukoranta voiced regret over this development, emphasizing that the exit of these three nations risks jeopardizing crucial international cooperation in criminal justice matters. She reiterated the ICC’s foundational role within the global justice framework, urging Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to reconsider and maintain their adherence to the Rome Statute, continuing their active engagement in the Assembly’s proceedings.
The presidency also highlighted the existing avenues available to member states for addressing their concerns directly within the Assembly, advocating strongly for a path of constructive dialogue. Furthermore, it underscored that any withdrawal from the Rome Statute does not nullify a state’s responsibilities and obligations incurred during its period of participation in the treaty.
This firm stance from the ASP follows the formal notification of Niger’s withdrawal. The ICC confirmed receiving this notification on June 18, 2026, which was submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General, the designated depositary of the Rome Statute. As per the treaty’s provisions, Niger’s withdrawal will officially become effective on June 18, 2027.
Back in September 2025, leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, initially declared their collective intent to depart from the ICC. A joint communiqué, endorsed by the Malian transitional president, General Assimi Goïta—then the acting chairman of the AES—accused the Court of failing to effectively prosecute perpetrators of the gravest crimes, decrying what they termed “selective justice.” The AES further asserted that the ICC has transformed into an “instrument of neo-colonial repression,” criticizing its perceived inaction on certain atrocities while allegedly targeting individuals outside the “circle of beneficiaries of institutionalized international impunity.”
