First election
(rescheduled for the second resumption of the first session of the Assembly of States Parties,
held from 21 to 23 April 2003)

Mr. Luis Moreno Ocampo (Argentina) was elected Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in an election, held by secret ballot, which took place on Monday 21 April 2003 (10:00 a.m. New York time).
(See too archived webcast)

The nomination period for the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was opened on 9 September 2002, in accordance with article 42(4) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the resolution on the procedure for the nomination and election of judges, the Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutors (E, F, S, R, C, A) adopted by the Assembly of States Parties on 9 September 2002. In accordance with paragraphs 11 and 24 of the resolution on nomination and election of judges, the Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutors, the nomination period for the first election of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was scheduled to close on 30 November 2002.

Official documentation relating to the election of the Prosecutor:

• Election of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court: Note by the Secretariat, document ICC-ASP/1/6 (E, F, S, R, C, A)
• Addendum, document ICC-ASP/1/6/Add.1 (E, F, S, R, C, A)

The President of the Assembly of States Parties, in a letter (English, French, Spanish) addressed to all States Parties, dated 2 December 2002, announced the extension of the deadline for nominations for the Prosecutor to 8 December 2002, in accordance with paragraphs 5 and 13 of resolution ICC-ASP/1/Res.2 on the procedure for the nomination and election of judges, the Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor, applied mutatis mutandis to the nominations for the Prosecutor. The extended nomination period for the Prosecutor closed on 8 December 2002. The President of the Assembly of States Parties, in a further letter (English, French, Spanish) addressed to all Governments, indicated his intention to bring the fact that no nominations had been received to the attention of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court at its resumed session to be held in New York from 3-7 February 2003 with a view to requesting it to consider, as appropriate, reopening the nomination period.

At its 8th meeting on 7 February 2003, the Assembly of States Paries, on the recommendation of the Bureau, decided to reopen the nomination period for the Prosecutor to run from 24 March to 4 April 2003. Since pursuant to resolution ICC-ASP/1/Res.2 every effort shall be made to elect the Prosecutor by consensus, the Bureau continued to encourage States Parties to consult informally first, before processing their official nominations with the Secretariat. At the same meeting, the Assembly took note of the decision of the Bureau, that the election of the Prosecutor be held during the second resumed session in April 2003.

The nomination period was subsequently reopened on 24 March 2003 and closed on 4 April 2003.

As of 4 April 2003, 1 nomination was received.