Last updated on October 1, 2025
Justice doesn’t uphold itself—it needs a system with the right tools to ensure its delivery. But the reality is that not every nation has the means to seek it alone.
For the past 20 years, the International Criminal Court has tried to be a helping hand, providing the resources, legal guidance, and a platform for prosecuting the world’s worst crimes.
However, in the absence of key powers like the US, the ICC finds itself in crisis. From being $50 million short of its financial needs, to currently pursuing only 12 investigations, to lacking the confidence of a third of the world, the court’s ability to effectively administer justice remains gravely compromised.
The signs are beginning to flash red as just last year, the court was forced to withdraw investigations in four countries because there wasn’t enough money to go around.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
U.S. membership would provide much needed financial support, intelligence sharing, and the authority of a great power, expanding the ICC’s scope in achieving global justice.
Consider three cases:
1] Chemical weapons in Sudan
Toxic warfare has resurged. Sudan’s military is beginning to use chemical weapons in the country’s civil war, intentionally targeting civilians.
Unfortunately, the ICC is struggling to act. According to their own budget from last year, increased cases combined with the court’s chronic underfunding has forced it to pick its battles, and Sudan is unfortunately the victim of budget cuts.
If the U.S were to join, it would bolster the ICC’s capacity to credibly punish and deter the world’s worst criminals. Historically it has worked: the threat of credible ICC prosecution is associated with three times lower civilian fatalities.
If we don’t take action, millions will continue to suffer. Unless stopped, Sudan’s military will soon use chemical weapons containing deadly chlorine gas in the densely populated capital city, worsening the situation in a war that has already killed over 150,000 and displaced 11 million.
2] Indiscriminate Bombings in the DRC
The line between civilians and combatants is becoming increasingly blurred. Worsening violence in the DRC between the Congolese Army and rebel groups has caught civilians in the crosshairs, causing mass displacement.
And just like in Sudan, the ICC is unable to take action. As the court suffers from limited financial support and a ballooning docket, the court is prioritizing other countries over the DRC, leaving the court unable to take action.
So far, a disregard for protecting Congolese civilians has displaced 237,000 to overcrowded shelters, causing one of the world’s worst yet under-covered humanitarian crises.
The ICC must hold leaders accountable for such irresponsible targeting of civilians.
3] Genocide in Myanmar
Tragedy is unfolding in Myanmar. The country’s military junta remains in control, with 2024 marking the worst year of violence against the Rohingya minority.
Unfortunately, America’s reluctance to fund and legitimize the ICC precludes the court from achieving justice for the Rohingya, rendering prosecution unattainable.
Hesitance is deadly, as 6,000 civilians have been killed, tortured, or beheaded by Myanmar’s military. 21,000 civilians are locked up in detention centers as we speak.
We cannot allow such heinous crimes to go unpunished.
Be First to Comment