ICC chief Akane meets with Japan lawmakers, seeks support from members

International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane met with a group of Japanese lawmakers on Friday at the court's headquarters in The Hague, urging continued support for the tribunal despite sanctions imposed by the United States. Akane herself is subject to U.S. sanctions. She emphasized Japan's substantial contributions to the organization, noting that Japan is the largest financial contributor and has sent judges, including Akane, the first Japanese national to lead the ICC.

This meeting, the first between Akane and a delegation of Japanese lawmakers since the U.S. under President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC in October, aimed to highlight the importance of Japan's role in promoting human rights diplomacy. Yasue Funayama, co-head of the parliamentarians group with former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, told reporters that they felt a renewed sense of need for Japan to take the lead in addressing the sanctions crisis, with a strong determination to communicate Japan's stance to the United States.

Following Akane's call for concrete action by U.N. member states in defense of the ICC, Japan's top government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, indicated that the country is considering providing financial assistance to the organization. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who served from 2011 to 2012 and also attended the meeting, stated that Japan should not waver in its support for the ICC, especially during a crisis, and called for unity across party lines to bolster the tribunal.