Next week the indispensable International Criminal Court in The Hague celebrates its fifth anniversary (Happy Birthday, Cancer). The Rome Statute, which authorized the Court's establishment, took place on July 17th, 1998. Although it was conceived with the best of intentions, The ICC has had its share failures as it navigates, for the first time in history, the depths of Man's inhumanity against Man.

Also, three countries -- Russia, China and, alas, the Bush administration here in these United States -- have undermined the Court's performance. Further, the lack of a viable police force -- but a preponderance of prosecutors and judges - suggests more "paper tiger" status than mighty international law enforcement organization. Human Rights Watch recently issued a scathing report on the barely 10 year old organization. From Radio Netherlands:

"A good example is the ICC's first real criminal case, against Congo's Thomas Lubanga. It had been due to get under way at the end of June but was postponed indefinitely when the judge found that prosecutors may have withheld mitigating evidence. For a short time, it appeared that Lubanga might even have to be released.

"The report presents a possible cause of this type of problem, positing that the prosecutors are simply overloaded with work. In recent years, many experienced legal experts have left the ICC before their term of office was up, and Human Rights Watch is calling for new appointments to be made. But international legal expert and ICC watcher Heikelien Verrijn Stuart thinks this might be easier said than done.."

Still, the ICC is the best hope for bringing the tyrants and the slavers and the pirates and genocidists and Mafioso to justice within their lifetime - the Lord willing -- and improving the quality of life of human civilization against the negative anti-force within humanity.

Now, some good news (and you didn't think I was going to leave here without dropping a ray of light): In addition to the already 120 countries that have signed on board, The National Commission on Human Rights in Jakarta has urged Indonesia, a nation that is no stranger to the international crime of terrorism, to join.

UPDATE: Today, Friday July 11, the International Criminal Court prosecutors announced that they will seek the arrest of Sudan President Omar al-Beshir for genocide in Darfur.

[Image: Global Foreign Policy]