Page "Torture" Paragraph 59

The ICC came into existence on 1 July 2002 and can only prosecute crimes committed on or after that date.

The court can generally exercise jurisdiction only in cases where the accused is a national of a state party to the Rome Statute, the alleged crime took place on the territory of a state party, or a situation is referred to the court by the United Nations Security Council.

The court is designed to complement existing national judicial systems: it can exercise its jurisdiction only when national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes.

Primary responsibility to investigate and punish crimes is therefore reserved to individual states.