Colombia has become the first Latin American nation to sign an agreement to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decisions, which may involve having those condemned serve their sentences in Colombia, according to a government press release Tuesday.
President Juan Manuel Santos affirmed Colombia’s commitment to the ICC and highlighted the good work done by the international organization.
“We are the first Latin American country to sign an agreement of this nature, and we do so because we are convinced that, even in so few years, the Court has established itself as a leading actor of the international community,” said Santos.
The agreement was signed in Bogota‘s presidential palace, the Casa de Nariño, with the ICC President Sang-hyun Song who arrived Tuesday morning.
“The [ICC’s] growing legitimacy and prestige have made it an essential reference for those countries that, like Colombia, are looking for a transition from violence to peace without forgetting the demands of justice and the imperative to recognize and enforce the rights of victims,” the Colombian head of state added.
The South Korean president of the ICC was invited to Colombia when the President Santos was in New York on December 6, 2010, at an ICC meeting.