New Global Criminal Court Ratified by 90 Nations

Thu June 12, 2003 11:43 AM ET UNITED NATIONS (<a href=reuters.com>Reuters) - A total of 90 countries to date have ratified a 1998 treaty creating the new International Criminal Court. The 90th ratification came from Lithuania on May 12.

The court, bitterly opposed by the United States, is the first permanent world tribunal set up to prosecute individuals for war crimes, genocide and other gross human right violations and will sit in the Hague, Netherlands.

The following countries have ratified the treaty:

Albania, Afghanistan, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Hungary and Iceland.

Ireland, Italy, Jordan, South Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zambia.