From 12 to 13 July 2016, the President of the Assembly of States Parties ("the President"), H.E. Mr. Sidiki Kaba (Senegal), visited New York to participate in the high-level thematic debate on Human Rights of the United Nations General Assembly. In his statement, President Kaba highlighted the role Senegal played promoting the development of a permanent body of international criminal law to put an end to impunity for atrocity crimes and lauded the remarkable work the International Criminal Court ("the Court") has been doing since its inception in 2002. Engaging in the interactive segment of the debate on building the foundations for Human Rights, President Kaba highlighted the importance of access to justice for all and the role the Court can play to ensure the voice of victims is heard when justice is not being delivered at the national level.
President Kaba used the high-level debate to hold meetings with human rights defenders, international justice experts and senior members of the diplomatic community. Furthermore, on 13 July 2016, he chaired a meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly, at which he urged States to continue to support the fight against impunity.
In the debate in the General Assembly Hall with the candidates for the position of United Nations Secretary General, moderated by Al Jazeera English, President Kaba posed a question regarding the ICC to the candidates.
President Kaba welcomed the different initiatives taken around the world to commemorate the day of international criminal justice, including the one organized by the Vice-President of the Assembly, H.E. Mr. Sebastiano Cardi (Italy), on 14 July with the President of the Court, Judge Silvia Fernández de Guremendi, and the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares.
Video of the debate in the General Assembly Hall with the candidates for the position of United Nations Secretary General. President Kaba's question was posed at minute 54:00.
