Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court

Kritika Sharma, Ph.D. (2025), Leiden University, is the Research Integrity and Legal Advisor at the Luxembourg Agency for Research Integrity. Her research focuses on the governance of international courts and other institutions and international institutional law.

“By offering a detailed and rigorous study of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, Kritika Sharma’s book makes a significant and much-needed contribution to the literature. Her analysis deftly bridges the law of international organizations and international criminal law, advancing a compelling framework for understanding how principles of good governance can be realized at the international level.” Christiane Ahlborn, Assistant Professor of International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Graz, Austria.“Governance is what ultimately makes or breaks international courts and tribunals. Confronted with mounting political challenges and attacks on its independence by third states, the International Criminal Court’s capacity to function as a judicial institution has come under increasing strain, prompting calls to safeguard its operational foundations and the integrity of its mandate. In this timely and innovative book, Kritika Sharma offers a systematic and nuanced account of what ‘good governance’ of the ICC should entail, focusing on the many roles and functions of the Assembly of States Parties. The book deserves a wide readership, as it offers valuable lessons for the governance of other international courts.” Sergey Vasiliev, Professor of International Law, Open University, the Netherlands.