I hope that by accepting the invitation to host this workshop, Botswana has been able to demonstrate her strong support and abiding faith in the instrumentality of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is also my sincere hope that during the course of the next two days, delegates will be provided with the necessary enabling environment to achieve the objective of this workshop.
In the exercise of its judicial mandate, the Court draws its inspiration from the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which is "to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression".I have no doubt that the Court's mandate to prosecute all crimes under the Rome Statute and the Security Council's political mandate of maintaining international peace and security, are compatible and mutually reinforce the concept of peace and justice.
