ICC member meeting moved to The Hague on Duterte trial opening

Metro Manila, Philippines – The annual meeting of International Criminal Court (ICC) member states has been moved from New York, USA to The Hague, Netherlands beginning Nov. 30, to coincide with the opening of the trial of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties announced that its 25th session will be held in The Hague from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7; it was initially scheduled at the United Nations headquarters.

The Assembly of States Parties is the ICC management oversight and legislative body and is separate from the court’s judicial proceedings.

The bureau said the venue was changed because of concerns over limitations on participation in the United States, including sanctions against elected ICC officials and visa restrictions affecting some delegations and representatives of non-government organizations.

The decision was made following consultations with all states parties, it added.

Assembly President Päivi Kaukoranta said the relocation was prompted by the “specific circumstances prevailing in 2026” and should not be considered a precedent for where future sessions will be held.

US President Donald Trump has ramped up his anti-ICC campaign,calling it a “rogue institution” and urging member nations to withdraw immediately. He said the court is an anti-American tribunal that threatens the sovereignty of the US and allied sovereignty. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC.

The Philippines withdrew from the treaty in 2019 during the Duterte administration.

The change in the ICC member meeting venue creates an overlap with the opening of Duterte’s trial.

Trial Chamber III set Nov. 30 as the opening date after confirming that the former leader would face trial on three counts of crimes against humanity for murder in relation to his war on drugs. The latest ICC public case information continues to list the trial opening for that date. 

The trial schedule, however, remains subject to the chamber’s assessment of Duterte’s fitness to stand trial. The ICC has said the judges will address pending matters and adopt procedures necessary for the proceedings before the trial begins. 

As of Sept. 30, no public order  has been issued changing the trial date because of the assembly meeting. Trial Chamber III’s last decision in the Duterte case was on Sept. 28.