As a State Party to the ICC Statute, Mongolia shall cooperate fully with the Court to investigate crimes within its jurisdiction. In particular, Mongolia should comply with the Court’s requests for the arrest and surrender of persons sought by the Court, said Berit Lindeman, NHC Secretary General, and Terje Einarsen, ICJ Norway Chairperson in the letter.
At its 22nd session held in December 2023, the ICC Assembly of States Parties adopted, by consensus, a resolution on cooperation with the Court whereby it urged States to cooperate fully by their obligation to arrest and surrender (ICC-ASP/22/Res.5). At the same session, the Assembly elected Mr Erdenebalsuren Damdin, a national of Mongolia, Judge of the Court thus emphasising the recognition of Mongolia as a well-respected and trusted State Party to the ICC Statute.
The resolution and the election of a Mongolian judge add to the concern caused by Mongolia’s failure to comply with the Court’s order and arrest President Putin while he was visiting Mongolia. The ICC was established to end impunity for perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and thus contribute to preventing such crimes (Preamble to the Statute). Failure to arrest suspects for whom the ICC has issued arrest warrants defeats its purpose.