The Rome Statute, adopted in 1998 and entering into force in 2002, is the foundational treaty for the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It provides a legal framework for prosecuting individuals responsible for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. One of the most important features of the Rome Statute is its establishment of the ICC as a permanent judicial body. Unlike ad hoc tribunals such as those for Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia, the ICC has ongoing jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes that fall within its mandate, regardless of the nationality of the accused or the location of the crime, provided certain jurisdictional conditions are met. The principle of complementarity is another crucial aspect of the Rome Statute. Under this principle, the ICC acts as a court of last resort, intervening only when national judicial systems are unwilling or unable to prosecute crimes themselves. This approach respects state sovereignty while ensuring that impunity does not prevail when domestic courts fail to act. The statute explicitly obliges states parties to cooperate fully with the ICC, including surrendering suspects, providing evidence, and facilitating investigations. This creates a legal and moral framework for international cooperation in the fight against serious crimes, although challenges in enforcement often arise due to political considerations and state non-compliance. The Rome Statute also codifies specific definitions for the core crimes under its jurisdiction. Genocide is defined with a focus on the intent to destroy, in whole or in