International Criminal Court (ICC) and Global Peace

Abstract

The ICC is commonly seen as a judicial body with the authority to address matters related to international crime. Its purpose is to ensure that those responsible for international crimes are held accountable and to deter future violations. However, the persistence of atrocities similar to those the ICC targets causes significant disruption to global peace and undermines the international justice system. Therefore, this study aims to explore the ICC’s role in maintaining world peace and justice in the 21st century. It employs a qualitative approach and relies on secondary data. The findings reveal, among others, that while the ICC plays a significant role in maintaining peace and justice, the manner in which the relationship between peace and justice is perceived will significantly influence whether or not the Court has been able to maintain world peace and justice. If the notion of peace versus justice leans towards the Court’s ability to foster peace, it may be negligible. However, if the alternative peace via justice position is adopted, the ICC may be seen to have positively contributed to peace. The study, however, concludes that despite facing challenges in maintaining peace and justice in recent times, there are better days ahead for the ICC if only it can address these challenges through diverse approaches while also considering its mandate to uphold global peace and justice.