Foreign Minister courts ICC support to build capacity of judges

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to partner the Republic of Ghana in building the Capacity of Judges across the country.

The Foreign Minister made the call at a meeting with the President of the ICC, Chile Eboe-Osuji in Accra.

“I’m hoping that your being here will start some kind of a relationship not just with government but also with the Judiciary. Some form of deepened cooperation I’m hoping so that they will also have a more definite understanding of the direct role of the International Criminal Court and they are able to better complement your work as and when it becomes necessary”

The ICC President Chile Eboe-Osuji on his part lauded Ghana for showing strong leadership and encouraging other countries across the world to adhere to the ideals of the Rome Statute, a treaty that underpins the formation of the international judicial system.

Calling on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional integration for the first time as ICC president after his election in March 2019, President Chile Eboe-Osuji expressed satisfaction about how swiftly Ghana internalised the operations and processes of the ICC.

“I think I stand on solid ground to say that Ghana already has bought into the ICC. Ghana has shown strong leadership in supporting the court in encouraging the rest of the world to do so.

“Ghana was one of the first countries to ratify the Rome Statute and bring the ICC into operation – and I thought it right and proper to be here for the very first time in my capacity as President of the International Criminal Court to pay a visit to you and other leaders of the country,” Mr Chile Eboe-Osuji recalled.

The ICC boss will later have an engagement with President Akufo-Addo as part of his working visit to Ghana after an earlier engagement with the Chief Justice of Ghana Sophia Akuffo and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.