President Anthony Carmona has asked diplomatic leaders for their support in appointing Justice Geoffrey Henderson as an International Criminal Court (ICC) judge in the Hague, on November 23.Carmona was speaking at a dinner hosted by himself and his wife Reema, in honour of heads of diplomatic missions at The Hotel, National Academy of the Performing Arts (Napa), Port-of-Spain, Friday night.He said the ICC was established through the pioneering work of former president Arthur NR Robinson.
Addressing the diplomatic members and their spouses, Carmona said, "As part of our contribution to an international order based on justice and the rule of law, we are fully convinced that the ICC at this stage in its development needs to have on its bench judges who are highly qualified, experienced and independent, who are of impeccable moral character and integrity.
"Accordingly T&T will be very honoured to receive the support of those among you whose countries are state parties to the Rome statute of the ICC for the candidature of Justice Geoffrey Henderson, a judge of our Supreme Court who is seeking to become a judge of the ICC at the elections to be held in the Hague, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on November 23.Henderson's election, Carmona said, was "the result of my choosing country over personal ambition."
Carmona said at the same time the international community had shown that it was prepared to engage in considered action to address the illicit trade in conventional arms including small arms and light weapons which fueled other trans-boundary crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and terrorism.
He said the adoption and opening for signature of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) early this year had been hailed as one of the most important instruments negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations for several decades and which small states including T&T played a very pivotal role in the formulation of the final text.