International Criminal Court is a permanent, treaty based, court designed to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The fourth crime which may fall under jurisdiction of the Court is the crime of aggression, once its definition has been adopted. International Criminal Court (ICC) established and governed by the Rome Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002 when 120 States adopted the statute, the legal basis for the establishing the permanent International Criminal Court.
The purpose of the court is to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. To date, 114 countries have become the parties to the Rome Statute.
The ICC receives case referred by the state party, or by the UN Security Council, or in case of a proprio motu investigation, initiated by the Prosecutor. The Court can intervene in the state affairs and prosecute individuals when it is believed that the perpetrators of above mentioned crimes are going unpunished. Unlike ad hoc tribunals, it is a permanent and independent body, not the part of the United Nation.
International Criminal Court is a permanent, treaty based, court designed to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The fourth crime which may fall under jurisdiction of the Court is the crime of aggression, once its definition has been adopted. International Criminal Court (ICC) established and governed by the Rome Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002 when 120 States adopted the statute, the legal basis for the establishing the permanent International Criminal Court.
The purpose of the court is to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. To date, 114 countries have become the parties to the Rome Statute.
The ICC receives case referred by the state party, or by the UN Security Council, or in case of a proprio motu investigation, initiated by the Prosecutor. The Court can intervene in the state affairs and prosecute individuals when it is believed that the perpetrators of above mentioned crimes are going unpunished. Unlike ad hoc tribunals, it is a permanent and independent body, not the part of the United Nation.

RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ICC AND THE UNITED NATIONS
(By www.iccnow.com)

The Relationship Agreement between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations (UN) regulates the working relationship between these two organizations, and establishes the legal foundation for cooperation within their respective mandates. The ICC is an independent international institution with a mandate – in support of the UN Charter – to address crimes that threaten international peace and security. The Relationship Agreement therefore reflects a delicate balance between independence and cooperation, respecting the autonomy and confidentiality of both institutions.

What Does the Relationship Agreement Address?

Under the Relationship Agreement, the ICC and the UN recognize each other’s mandates and status, and agree to cooperate and consult with each other on matters of mutual interest. The Relationship Agreement covers following two key categories of procedures.
First, it addresses procedures that are relatively standard and include the exchange of representatives, the exchange of information and documentation, administrative cooperation, the provision of conference services and facilities and the use of the UN laissez passer as a valid travel document by some ICC officials.
Second, the Relationship Agreement covers procedures unique to the Court as an independent judicial institution focusing on international criminal law. These reflect the special nature of the cooperation that will take place between elements of the UN system and the ICC. In particular, the Relationship Agreement provides information on the manner in which Security Council referrals and requests for deferral are transmitted to the Court and the manner in which the ICC may inform the Security Council of a failure to cooperate with its requests. It also provides a framework for cooperation between the UN and the ICC Prosecutor and the necessary agreements to facilitate such cooperation. In addition, it also addresses issues of privileges and immunities and protection of confidentiality. The Relationship Agreement will only cover certain aspects of the overall relationship between the ICC and the UN. Other aspects of that relationship, such as the role of the Security Council vis-à-vis the ICC, are explicitly dealt with in other articles of the Rome Statute.

Restorative Justice

A truth commission or truth and reconciliation commission is a commission tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state actors also), in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past. They are, under various names, occasionally set up by states emerging from periods of internal unrest, civil war, or dictatorship. South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established by President Nelson Mandela after apartheid, is popularly considered a model of truth commissions.
Priscilla Hayner defines Truth Commission as bodies set up to investigate a past history of violations of human rights in a particular country-which can include violations by the military or other government forces or state actors or armed opposition forces (Hayner 1994:558).

Truth Commissions

• Investigate past human rights violations/abuses
• Do not focus on on-going abuses like human rights Ombudsman might.
• Examines a pattern of human rights abuses over time rather than a specific event
• Are temporary bodies
• Are official bodies formed, sanctioned, authorized or empowered by the state.