'Canada's support for ICC is unequivocal,' Premier Carney says amid US pressure on court

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday reaffirmed his country's support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying Ottawa would continue backing the institution despite US efforts to pressure allies to withdraw their membership and funding.

Asked whether his government was doing enough to defend the ICC and why he had not spoken publicly about a Canadian judge facing US sanctions, Carney said Canada's support for the court remained firm.

"Canada is a proud member of the International Criminal Court. We support it with funding. We support it with personnel. We support it with our values. We support it with our actions, and we will continue to do so," he said at a news conference in Toronto.

Carney said the ICC played an increasingly important role as global instability grew.

"It provides an essential service in a world that is more dangerous, more divided. In fact, in many respects, its responsibilities are ever greater," he said.

Regarding the Canadian judge under US sanctions, Carney said Ottawa “will provide support as needed,” and pledged to work with US officials on a "variety of issues to work to achieve results.”

"But our support for the ICC is unequivocal," he added.

The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized the ICC, particularly after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over allegations related to the Gaza war.

The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

Last month, Chad became the latest country to begin formally withdrawing from the court after Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who issued the arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza in 2024, was recently dismissed over misconduct allegations.

In August 2025, the US sanctioned Canadian ICC judge Kimberly Prost over a case related to American troops in Afghanistan. Prost was one of four ICC officials targeted by the sanctions.