Dutch prime minister slams 'attempts to undermine' ICC

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Thursday condemned "attempts to undermine" the International Criminal Court (ICC), warning such actions threaten the broader international legal order.

"Take the attempts we’ve seen to undermine the International Criminal Court - which is based in my country, in my city. This undermines the international legal order as a whole, and that affects us all," Jetten said in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Jetten stressed that the ICC was established to combat impunity and called for the international community to defend the court and other institutions underpinning international law.

"I believe there can be only one response. To say: hands off the ICC, and all those other institutions that protect the international legal order," he said.

The Dutch premier said the international legal order was facing growing pressure, citing violations of international law and human rights as well as the undermining of institutions established to protect people and populations.

He also pointed to the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and Sudan, among other conflicts.

"When major powers choose to pursue only their own interests, it is tempting to respond defensively," Jetten said, urging countries instead to pursue their "common interest" through international cooperation.

He called on middle powers to take the lead in fostering cooperation and said countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America should have a fuller role in global decision-making.

Jetten also highlighted artificial intelligence as an area requiring international cooperation, asking whether decisions over the technology should be left to "a small group of companies and countries" or addressed collectively through the UN.