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> Delivering on the promise of a fair, effective and independent Court > Election of ICC and ASP Officials

Officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including the Judges, the Prosecutor, and the Deputy Prosecutors are elected by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP). The ASP is also responsible for electing ASP officials.

Every three years six new judges are elected for a non-renewable term of nine years.

ICC Prosecutors and Deputy Prosecutors are elected for nine-year terms and can also not be re-elected.

The ASP bureau members are elected for three-year terms. The ASP Bureau is the ASP’s executive committee, and is composed of a President, two Vice-Presidents and eighteen members.

The ICC registrar is not elected by the ASP. The judges elect the registrar by an absolute majority by secret ballot. They do need to take into account any recommendations by the ASP. The registrar serves for a term of five years, and is eligible for re-election once.

For upcoming elections the Coalition organizes Election Campaigns on the International Criminal Court.

The purpose of these campaigns is to:

1. Promote the nomination and election of the most highly qualified officials through fair, merit-based, and transparent processes;
2. Uphold the Rome Statute principles of a fair, effective and independent ICC representing all of the world’s regions, major legal systems and regions, as well as maintaining equitable gender representation.

Activities include a global advocacy campaign involving civil society partners around the world, governments and international/regional institutions, and media actions to advance independent, transparent, fair, and merit-based elections.

The Coalition strongly opposes reciprocal political agreements (“vote-trading”) in ICC elections. The Coalition as a whole does not endorse or oppose individual candidates but advocates for the integrity of the nomination and election procedures. Individual member organizations of the Coalition may choose to take positions on particular candidates in representing their own respective organizations, but these positions may not be taken in the name of the Coalition.

More on ICC judicial elections

For more information on the election of ICC and ASP Officials, please contact Matthew Cannock at [email protected].