The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has accused the Trump administration of attempting to undermine international justice through sanctions against the tribunal, vowing that the measures would not prevent it from carrying out its duties.
Judge Tomoko Akane of Japan, who addressed the United Nations General Assembly remotely on Monday because of US sanctions, urged all 193 UN member states, including those outside the ICC, to take collective and individual steps to protect the court.
"To take concrete action, individually and collectively, in defense of the court," she urged the member states, which include 125 countries that are parties to the ICC.
President Donald Trump's administration has imposed a series of sanctions on ICC officials before extending the measures to the entire court last month as part of its campaign to dismantle the tribunal over its investigations involving the United States and its allies, including Israel.
Akane said her decision to address the General Assembly remotely reflected the "extraordinary" and "unprecedented" US measures targeting judges, prosecutors and the ICC as an institution.
She also drew attention to the timing of Washington's announcement of sweeping new sanctions on October 9, the same day the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge, for her efforts to advance peace and international law.
"The contrast could not be starker," Akane said. "On the one hand, global recognition of the value of international justice, on the other, an attempt to subdue the institution that embodies it."
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide when national authorities are unwilling or unable to do so. The United States is not a member of the court.
The US State Department did not immediately comment on Akane's remarks.
Announcing the latest sanctions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would prohibit transactions with the court to cut off its resources and undermine its ability to operate against the United States.
Responding to the measures, Akane said the court would continue to fulfil its responsibilities independently and impartially.
"Let me be clear: The court will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes," she said.
The European Union and other ICC supporters also addressed the UN General Assembly, expressing strong backing for the court and its efforts to ensure justice for victims of some of the world's most serious crimes.