Day of International Criminal Justice2026 · Date · History
At the 2010 Review Conference of the Rome Statute, States Parties adopted the Kampala Declaration and decided to celebrate July 17 as the Day of International Criminal Justice because July 17 is the anniversary of the Rome Statute’s 1998 adoption. ICC material documents the first official commemoration in 2010 and continuing institutional use.
About Day of International Criminal Justice
The Day of International Criminal Justice is observed on July 17 within the Rome Statute system of the International Criminal Court.
States Parties chose the date because July 17 is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998.
Why Day of International Criminal Justice matters
The day focuses attention on international criminal justice, accountability, victims’ rights and the institutions created through the Rome Statute system.
This guide describes the observance and its institutional history neutrally; it is not legal advice and does not ask readers to take a partisan position on current cases or disputes.
History of Day of International Criminal Justice
At the 2010 Review Conference of the Rome Statute in Kampala, States Parties adopted the Kampala Declaration, RC/Decl.1.
The declaration decided to celebrate July 17—the date on which the Rome Statute was adopted in 1998—as the Day of International Criminal Justice.
An ICC press release dated July 16, 2010 said the Court would officially commemorate the day for the first time on July 17, 2010.
The Assembly of States Parties and the ICC continue to mark July 17 in current institutional communications.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Review Conference of the Rome Statute / States Parties
Kampala Declaration, RC/Decl.1
First documented observance
An ICC press release dated July 16, 2010 announced that July 17 would be officially commemorated for the first time.
Assembly of States Parties and International Criminal Court
Current Assembly and ICC pages continue to organize and publish July 17 commemorations within the Rome Statute system.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
World Day for International Justice
How to Observe Day of International Criminal Justice
Read the Rome Statute or ICC/Assembly educational material to understand the institution’s mandate and the meaning of July 17.
Use official court or Assembly sources when discussing current proceedings, and distinguish allegations, charges, trials, judgments and appeals accurately.
If organizing a discussion, keep it factual and nonpartisan and avoid presenting general information as legal advice for an individual situation.
Learn about victims’ participation, international criminal law history or the role of national courts through reputable institutional and academic sources.
Day of International Criminal Justice Facts
The Day of International Criminal Justice is observed on July 17.
States Parties adopted the observance at the 2010 Review Conference of the Rome Statute in Kampala.
The establishing text is the Kampala Declaration, RC/Decl.1.
July 17 was selected because the Rome Statute was adopted on July 17, 1998.
The ICC announced its first official commemoration for July 17, 2010.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Assembly of States Parties — current Day of International Criminal Justice page
Assembly of States Parties — Kampala Declaration adoption record
International Criminal Court — 2010 first official commemoration announcement
International Criminal Court — current July 17 statement
Assembly of States Parties
International Criminal Court
Assembly of States Parties — 17 July Day of International Criminal Justice (opens in a new tab)
Current Institutional Observance
Assembly of States Parties — Kampala Declaration adoption record (opens in a new tab)
Intergovernmental Establishing Record
Show 2 additional source references
International Criminal Court — current July 17 statement (opens in a new tab)
Current Institutional Stewardship
International Criminal Court — first official commemoration announcement (opens in a new tab)
Intergovernmental First Observance Record
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Day of International Criminal Justice?
17 July The documented recurrence rule is: 17 July.
Does Day of International Criminal Justice fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Day of International Criminal Justice an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Rome Statute system / intergovernmental international-criminal-justice observance established by States Parties; public treatment remains neutral and non-advisory.. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Day of International Criminal Justice?
The reviewed sources identify Review Conference of the Rome Statute / States Parties as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Assembly of States Parties and International Criminal Court.
Is Day of International Criminal Justice international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: Rome Statute system / intergovernmental international-criminal-justice observance established by States Parties; public treatment remains neutral and non-advisory.. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-07.
When is the Day of International Criminal Justice?
It is observed on July 17.
Who established the Day of International Criminal Justice?
States Parties to the Rome Statute decided to celebrate the day during the 2010 Review Conference in Kampala.
What document established the observance?
The reviewed primary source is the Kampala Declaration, RC/Decl.1, adopted at the Review Conference.
Why is it on July 17?
July 17 is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998.
Is this guide legal advice about ICC cases?
No. It is an observance and institutional-history guide; questions about a specific legal matter require appropriate qualified advice.
Other observances on July 17
These observances are also listed on July 17, 2027.
Constitution Day
Republic of Korea government sources identify 17 July as Constitution Day, commemorating the Constitution promulgated on 17 July 1948. National Archives records trace its statutory national…
U Tirot Sing Day / Death Anniversary of U Tirot Sing
Meghalaya government holiday records place the Death Anniversary of U Tirot Sing on 17 July in consecutive years, and Raj Bhavan Meghalaya identifies 17 July 2025 as his 190th death anniver…
World Emoji Day
Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge says he created World Emoji Day in 2014; current Emojipedia material keeps the annual date on July 17 and identifies the present Zedge stewardship layer.