Two decades after the signature in Rome of the Statute establishing a permanent International Criminal Court (the 'Court') (17 July 1998), this session will take stock of the innovations and shortcomings of such a mechanism of international justice. It will look in particular at: -the Statute’s ground-breaking provisions, including those addressing victims, sexual and gender-based crimes, and its innovative structures, including the creation of Trust Fund for Victims; -the absence of an independent organ for the defence in the structure of the Court and the provisions of the Rome Statute related to fair trial rights; -the role of States Parties and the pros and cons of an institution that is set up by a multilateral treaty and governed by an Assembly of States Parties; -the co-existence of the Court with other mechanisms, such as hybrid courts, domestic prosecutions and regional initiatives.