The court in The Hague, Netherlands, was established in 2002 to bring to justice rogue leaders responsible for atrocities.
After the Yugoslav wars and the Rwandan genocide, world leaders quickly pushed for its creation.
It is a court of last resort, which intervenes only when national authorities cannot, or will not, prosecute cases.
It can only deal with crimes committed after July 1, 2002, when the Rome Statute – which established the court – came into force.
124 countries have ratified the Rome Statute. Another 34 have signed and may ratify in the future.
However, Israel is not a member and the US is another notable absence.
