Trinidad Breaks Tradition by Abstaining on ICC Resolution
The nation voted with 35 other countries to skip the vote on the court's annual report, marking a shift from its historical support for the body it helped create.
By Elena Greco ·
Trinidad and Tobago abstained from a United Nations resolution supporting the International Criminal Court, marking the first time the country has not voted in favor of a major action by the body. The vote took place this week, less than two weeks after Trinidad joined the United States and other nations in opposing the lifting of the economic embargo against Cuba. This decision breaks a long-standing pattern of support for the court, which monitors war and related crimes globally.
The resolution concerned the court's annual report on its operations. A total of 93 countries voted for the measure, while 13 voted against. Thirty-six countries, including Trinidad, abstained. The nations voting against the resolution were Russia, Argentina, Israel, and the United States. Until this week, support from Trinidad for the court was considered a certainty due to the country's strong historical links to the institution's establishment.
The shift occurs amid a campaign by the Trump administration to undermine the court. The administration fears that top defense officials and soldiers could face war crimes trials for military actions taken overseas. One specific incident cited is the fatal bombing of a school in Iran earlier this year, which killed dozens of children. The U.S. has argued that the court lacks authority to charge its military personnel and has sanctioned nearly 20 ICC judges as part of this effort.
Trinidad's historical connection to the court is rooted in the work of Arthur Robinson. Robinson, who served as both president and prime minister of the federation, was one of the court's early judges. He is widely credited with advocacy efforts that led to the court's establishment more than 20 years ago. Robinson died more than a decade ago, but his influence on the nation's position toward the ICC had remained strong until this recent vote.
The Caribbean community voted in a fragmented manner on the resolution. Guyana and Barbados voted in favor of the measure. Jamaica, Antigua, and Dominica ensured their delegates were not present when the roll was called. Antigua and Dominica have faced pressure from Washington to comply with political requests, including accepting large numbers of non-national deportees. The U.S. State Department has imposed severe restrictions on tourist visas for nationals of these two countries, with recent reports indicating that no such visas were issued to applicants from Antigua and Dominica up to earlier this year.
