Chinese envoy calls on ICC to respect Sudan's judicial sovereignty

11/7/2025 16:38

A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to exercise its powers in accordance with law and respect Sudan's judicial sovereignty when dealing with the Darfur referral.



Twenty years ago, the Security Council adopted a resolution to refer the situation of Sudan's Darfur region to the ICC. When going about its work, the ICC should strictly abide by the complementary jurisdiction principle of the Rome Statute, stay independent, objective and impartial, and follow the letter and spirit of the relevant Security Council resolutions without improper interpretation thereof, said Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.



"When processing any international or regional hot-spot issues, equal and uniform application of international law by the ICC is imperative, so is the need not to apply double standards or exceptionalism," he told the Security Council.



The ICC should work more closely with national governments. When processing the Sudan dossier, the court should fully respect Sudan's judicial sovereignty and reasonable opinion, maintain close communication and cooperation with the Sudanese government, and refrain from undue interference, said Sun.