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[The Eastern Republic of Uruguay has communicated to the Secretary-General] the withdrawal of the interpretative declaration made by the Eastern Republic of Uruguay upon adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

As you know, Uruguay signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on
19 December 2000. The Statute was approved at the national level by Act No. 17.510, which was promulgated by the Executive on 27 June 2002.
At that time, however, Uruguay made an interpretative declaration relating to the aforementioned Statute, in language identical to article 2 of the above-mentioned Act.

Without prejudice to the interpretative declaration made at the time of its promulgation, the Act itself (art. 3) states that the Executive shall within six months refer to the Legislature a bill establishing the procedures for ensuring the application of the Statute, pursuant to the provisions of part 9 of the Statute entitled “International cooperation and judicial assistance”.

To that end, on 25 September 2006 Uruguay promulgated Act No. 18.026 entitled “Cooperation with the International Criminal Court in combating genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity”, the text of which is annexed to the present document.
Several international bodies — including the International Committee of the Red Cross — have welcomed this Act’s advanced and very modern treatment of the issue, in line with the progressive development of international law on the protection of human rights.

It should be pointed out, once again, that Uruguay considers the creation of the International Criminal Court to be an essential contribution to the progressive development of international law and an important event from both a political and a legal point of view. Its establishment is an invaluable step forward by the international community in mankind’s ongoing struggle against barbarism and its ceaseless endeavours to achieve the rule of law and justice. The fact that the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction to try cases of individual responsibility for the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression is, therefore, a milestone.

For all the reasons outlined above and in view of the present communication informing the Secretary-General of the entry into force in Uruguay of Act No. 18.026, which establishes full cooperation with the International Criminal Court, and in which Uruguay undertakes to fulfil its international commitments on the matter, the Eastern Republic of Uruguay is pleased to announce that the aforementioned interpretative declaration is hereby withdrawn.
19.12.2000

28.06.2002

26.02.2008