Which body established the International Criminal Court (ICC)?

• A. Rome Statute (2002) - established the ICC
• B. Geneva Conventions (1864) - sets standards for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war
• C. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) Arts 35-36 - protection from abduction, sale or trafficking and all other forms of exploitation
• D. Universal Declaration of Human Rights - formal statements of human rights

Answer: (A)

The setting up of the International Criminal Court rests on a treaty, namely the Rome Statute. This instrument, adopted in 1998 at a diplomatic conference in Rome, created the ICC and set out its jurisdiction, structure, and functions. It entered into force in 2002 after enough states ratified it, marking the official establishment of the Court. The other options are important legal instruments in their own right but do not establish the ICC: the Geneva Conventions deal with humanitarian law in war, the Convention on the Rights of the Child focuses on protections for children, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a broad aspirational document of rights.