Dutch PM Jetten warns “hands off the ICC” in debut UN speech

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten warned against interfering with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in his debut speech to the United Nations on Thursday. Jetten, speaking from the Netherlands, defended the ICC and the rule of law, urging the world not to "take hands off the ICC and all those other institutions that protect the international legal order."

The speech came after reports that the United States plans to escalate its conflict with the ICC, sanctioning the institution and its staff as part of a campaign to dismantle the court. Jetten specifically mentioned the US sanctions against 13 ICC staff members, including the court's president, Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, over the investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

He emphasized that undermining the ICC harms the international legal order, affecting all nations. As the host state, the Netherlands must support the court by cooperating with security, facilitating visas, and transporting defendants and witnesses. Jetten called for Russia to be held accountable for its actions in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating that Ukraine must defend itself while Russia continues waging war.