Press Releases
The Election of Ms. AKANE Tomoko, Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the President of the ICC
(Statement by Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko)
March 11, 2024
- On March 11, the election of the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was held at the ICC in The Hague, the Netherlands, and the Government of Japan welcomes the election of ICC Judge AKANE Tomoko of Japan as the President of the Court.
- The most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished, and the role of the ICC has become increasingly important in recent years. The ICC President takes on crucial responsibilities for the Court to function effectively as a permanent international criminal tribunal. The election of Judge Akane as the President, the first Japanese to hold this position, is a sign of the high regard in which she is held for her experience, and it is highly significant. Japan looks forward to her further success as the President in the future.
- The Government of Japan will continue to support the development of the ICC and actively contribute to the promotion of the rule of law in the international community.
(Reference)
After being appointed Prosecutor of the Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office, Director of the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI), Ambassador for International Judicial Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Prosecutor of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, among other capacities, she has served as a Judge of the ICC since March 2018 (term until March 2027).