ICC Faces Membership Shake-Up as US Pressure Drives Withdrawals

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing a growing number of withdrawals from its membership as the United States increases pressure on the tribunal.

Venezuela and Chad have recently announced plans to leave the ICC, taking the number of countries that have announced withdrawals in the past year to five. They join Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which also announced their decisions to quit the court.

Established under the Rome Statute in 2002, the ICC is the court of last resort for prosecuting individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. It takes up cases when national authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute such crimes.

The governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, all ruled by military juntas, have accused the ICC of selective justice. The three countries described the court as an instrument of “neocolonial repression” when announcing their withdrawals.

Venezuela has also criticised the court. Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia said the ICC had been “instrumentalized” and accused it of disregarding the sovereignty and self-determination of nations.

Chad specifically referred to US pressure in announcing its withdrawal. Its Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul said an American official had raised concerns about the functioning of the ICC and asked Chad to reconsider its membership.

The Trump administration has stepped up its campaign against the court. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in July that Washington would pressure the ICC’s 125 member states to withdraw, sanction organisations working with the court and restrict ICC staff from travelling to the United States.

The US has already sanctioned ICC personnel over warrants issued against senior Israeli officials and investigations involving US personnel in Afghanistan.

Withdrawal from the ICC is not retroactive. The court’s investigation into alleged crimes in the Philippines continued after the country left the ICC in 2019. Venezuela’s announcement of withdrawal will also not end the court’s existing investigation into alleged crimes committed in the country.

At the same time, Ukraine joined the ICC in 2025, becoming its latest member after ratifying the Rome Statute.