81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Report of the International Criminal Court – Item 73
Statement delivered by Ms. Kaisa Männik, Legal Adviser of Estonia on behalf of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia
2 November 2026, New York
President,
Distinguished delegates,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the three Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania and my own country Estonia. The Baltic States align with the statement made by the European Union and its Member States.
The Baltic States welcome the report of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on its activities and reaffirm our support to the ICC. The crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression threaten the peace, security and well-being of the world. The ICC remains the only permanent international court for criminal accountability for these most serious international crimes, and as such, plays a vital role in the global fight against impunity.
We thank the ICC President Akane for the overview of the ongoing 34 cases and 13 situations. We note that on 6 October 2025, Mr Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman was convicted by the ICC of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, including murder, torture, and outrages upon personal dignity. This is the first judgment arising from a referral by the Security Council. We also note that most of the ongoing cases have been referred to the ICC by the states themselves, in accordance with one of the fundamental principles – complementarity, whereby the ICC can only act where a State is unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute the crimes. This shows the trust States have in the ICC.
Alongside complementarity, the state cooperation is another foundational principle the ICC relies upon. The duty to cooperate is also a way to show state support, and we call on all States Parties to support the ICC through implementing the arrest warrants, asset recovery and by identifying and gathering evidence.
We welcome the assistance and support the United Nations has extended to the ICC, including to the 61 missions undertaken by the Court and participants in the proceedings during the reporting period.
The Baltic States stand in full solidarity with the ICC in its mission to uphold justice, accountability, and the rule of law worldwide. Once again, we must note that the past year has been challenging to the ICC, perhaps the most challenging year ever, with further sanctions and judgements against the ICC and its officials as well as questioning of its jurisdiction. International courts, including the ICC, should be shielded from political pressure. Therefore, we call upon all States, whether Parties to Rome Statute or not, to respect and protect the ICC’s independence.
The Baltic States wish to draw the attention to the increased demand, up to 10 million EUR a year, on the Trust Fund for Victims to support the rehabilitation, recovery, and empowerment of victims of atrocity crimes. We call upon States Parties and other stakeholders to continue their voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund, and to support the efforts of the Trust Fund in seeking additional ways to ensure its financial sustainability.
We believe that the ICC should have jurisdiction over all four core crimes under equal conditions. We regret that the Special Session last year could not fill the gap in the jurisdiction regarding the crime of aggression. We encourage everyone to take part in ongoing discussions in the Working Group for Amendments, in order to be able to report progress during the intersessional meeting next year.
We regret that further states have announced their withdrawal from the Rome Statute. We encourage these states to review their decision and remain States Parties to the Rome Statute. At the same time, we welcome that Hungary has reversed its decision to leave the ICC.
More broadly, we support stronger international mechanisms to document violations, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and provide continued support to those whose rights are violated. We call on all States to advance and support key accountability initiatives, such as the International Compensation Mechanism for Ukraine and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. An aggressor left unpunished returns stronger.
Russia’s political and military leadership must be held accountable for the crime of aggression and other international crimes that they have committed in and against Ukraine. The international community should continue our steadfast support to Ukraine in the fight against impunity.
Thank you!