During the eight plenary meeting of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court held on 9th December 2022 at the World Forum Centre, in the Hague (the Netherlands), Sahr Lahai Jusu (Sierra Leone’s Financial Secretary) was elected as a member of the Court’s Committee on Budget and Finance, to serve the term jointly with Jasleen Chaona Chirembo (Malawi).
Mr. Jusu is the third Sierra Leonean elected to a senior role at the ICC in three years, following the election of Justice Miatta Maria Samba as Judge of the Court in 2020, and Mr. Ibrahim Sorie Yillah as a member (Vice Chair) of the Executive Board of the Court’s Trust Fund for Victims in 2021.
The nomination, election and/or appointment of Sierra Leoneans in the international system was a key campaign commitment made by His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of the Republic of Sierra Leone in 2018. This commitment has been reflected as part of the “Strengthening external relations for integration” chapter in the Sierra Leone’s Medium-term National Development Plan 2019–2023, where the President Bio led Government committed itself to “mobilize and encourage nationals to work in regional and international bodies”.
In nominating Mr. Jusu for the one seat allocated to the African States Parties on the election of the Committee on Budget and Finance, the Government of Sierra Leone expressed the view that Mr. Jusu’s competence, qualifications, and prior experience, among others, at various regional and multilateral financial institutions, and being the Government’s principal adviser on economic and financial matters make him valuable in advancing the principles, objectives, and values of the Rome Statute. He has the requisite competence as required of the Committee, and his nomination and election is consistent with the overall commitment of Sierra Leone to the ICC and its effective and efficient discharge of its important mandate.
The Committee on Budget and Finance examines the financial, budgetary and administrative documents submitted by the ICC to the Assembly of State Parties as part of the Court’s annual budget review. It was established in 2002 by consensus to provide an appropriate mechanism for the budgetary and financial review and monitoring of the resources of the ICC.
The Committee examines and makes recommendations on the proposed program budget that the Court requests to fulfil for its prosecutorial, judicial and organizational functions, and meet its obligations to defendants and victims. The final annual ICC budget is then agreed upon by the State Parties during the ASP. The Committee meets twice annually.
Mr Jusu serves as Africa Borrowers’ Representative on the World Bank IDA Committee on Resource Mobilization and Allocation.
The committee recently announced in Japan US$93 Billion financing for 74 low income countries.
