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About the ICC Task Force

Acknowledgments

An endeavor such as that undertaken by this Task Force is necessarily a collective one, drawing on the talents and time of many people, without whom we could not have accomplished a fraction of what we did and to all of whom we owe great thanks.

As Co-Chairs of this Task Force, we were privileged to work with a talented and dedicated group of individuals on this project. Thanks must start with our fellow members of the Task Force: David Bosco, Sandy Hodgkinson, Saira Mohamed, and Alex Whiting. Each brought a different perspective and set of experiences to our discussions of how the United States could best engage with the International Criminal Court, against fluid and sometimes challenging circumstances. The resulting Report is richer and more rigorous for that diversity of perspective, and we are grateful for the constructive spirit in which they addressed these issues. Our thanks likewise go to the members of our esteemed Advisory Group, who provided critical feedback and guidance at key stages of the Task Force’s work. We drew heavily upon their collective wisdom in recounting the history of U.S. engagement with the ICC and recommending a course forward. Finally, Ben Batros provided consistently excellent project management, from conceptualizing arguments, to outreach to interlocutors, to shepherding the draft to completion.

We are also deeply grateful to the more than one hundred individuals across government service, legal practice, academia, and civil society with whom the Task Force spoke over the past fifteen months—for generously offering their time, insights, and expertise. For the vast majority, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that we were unable to meet in person. But the enforced reliance of virtual meetings enabled the Task Force to benefit from the perspective of a wider cross-section of interlocutors, who were willing to engage critically, candidly, and creatively with us; their contributions have enriched this Report immeasurably.

A number of staff and officers at the American Society of International Law assisted and facilitated the work of the Task Force. Thanks are due in particular to President Catherine Amirfar, former President Sean D. Murphy, Executive Director Mark Agrast, and Deputy Executive Director Wes Rist.

The Report, and the discussions of the Task Force, also benefited from the dedication and talents of our research assistant, Chris Moxley; from additional research support provided by Arthur Traldi, Molly Norburg, Schuyler Atkins, Michael Rover, Kevan Christensen, and Adib Milani; and from the exceptional editing assistance of Erin Lovall.

Finally, we would like to dedicate this Report to the memory of John Kim, our dear colleague in the State Department and at the United States Embassy in The Hague, a rare gentleman with one of the finest minds, kindest hearts, and most decent souls with whom it was ever our privilege to work and to call a friend.

Todd Buchwald and Beth Van Schaack
Task Force co-chairs