The Assembly of States Parties
How the ICC's governing body oversees the Court, sets its budget, and shapes its future direction.
The ICC's Governing Body
The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) is the management oversight and legislative body of the ICC. It comprises all 124 states parties, each holding one vote. The ASP elects the Court's judges and the Prosecutor, approves the annual budget, adopts amendments to the Rome Statute, and provides general oversight of the Court's administration. Critically, its oversight is administrative and financial: the ASP does not decide cases or interfere with judicial independence.
The Assembly meets annually and makes decisions by consensus where possible, or by a two-thirds majority for substantive matters. Its Bureau, made up of a president, two vice-presidents, and 18 elected members, manages business between sessions. The ASP's most consequential powers are the purse (it sets the budget) and personnel (it elects the Court's leadership). Together these give states parties substantial influence over the Court's direction without touching its judicial functions.
