VOA慢速英语2010年-Development Report - A Compromise on T

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Member countries of the International Criminal Court met this month in Kampala, Uganda. They were there to examine the court's progress for the first time. Observers, human rights activists¹ and civil society groups also attended the two-week review conference.

A treaty called the Rome Statute² established the court in The Hague, in the Netherlands, in two thousand two. The court can try people for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity when their own countries are unwilling³ or unable to.

The court was also given the right to try crimes of aggression⁴, although it never has. This is partly because I.C.C. members could not agree on how to define aggression.

In Kampala they agreed on a compromise resolution. It defines the crime in terms of acts by a political or military leader against another state in violation⁵ of the United Nations Charter.

Invasions, attacks and blockades could all be tried as acts of aggression. So could letting another country use a state's territory for aggressive acts against a third state.

Lawyer Karim Khan, left, at the International Criminal Court last week, defending Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain. He has voluntarily surrendered to face war crimes charges in a deadly 2007 attack against African Union peacekeepers in Darfur.

The United Nations Security Council has the lead responsibility for deciding that an act of aggression has taken place. But if the council takes no action within six months, the court might still be able to carry out an investigation⁶.

Critics pointed⁷ out that the agreement does not permit the court to punish aggression by non-member countries or their nationals. Also, members could refuse to accept the court's right to try crimes of aggression. I.C.C. countries also agreed to delay any action by the court on aggression until they re-examine the issue in seven years.

The International Criminal Court has yet to complete its first case involving any crime. Eleven cases are currently before the court. They include the case against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. He is the first head of state to be charged by the I.C.C. while in office.

Two years ago, the court found him guilty of war crimes in Darfur. Last year it ordered his arrest. But Sudan rejects the ruling. The I.C.C. review conference took place even as the president was just sworn in for a new term.

One hundred eleven countries are parties to the Rome Statute. The United States is not among them but took part in Kampala as an observer. Other countries that have not joined the court include China and Russia.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

3 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

4 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

5 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。