Naoero president tells UN General Assembly country will withdraw from ICC

Naoero's President David Adeang told the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday that his country would withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Adeang described the ICC as a multilateral institution whose relevance is increasingly being questioned, saying Naoero would withdraw from the court and revoke its membership.

He said Naoero would deposit its instrument of withdrawal with the Rome Statute's depository before leaving New York.

The announcement came after US President Donald Trump urged countries to withdraw from the ICC in his address to the UN General Assembly earlier Tuesday.

Naoero has frequently aligned with the US in UN votes on Israel and Palestine, including by voting against a 2025 resolution endorsing a two-state solution.

Adeang also said Naoero "welcomes every effort" to develop seabed minerals responsibly but warned that delays in establishing international rules could prompt countries to act without waiting for a multilateral agreement.

"At every stage, we have called for the Mining Code to be finished," he said, urging the International Seabed Authority "to let the waiting end. Adopt the rules."

On UN reform, Adeang said the Security Council does not "reflect the world as it is," but rather "as it was in 1945," calling for reforms to expand both permanent and non-permanent membership.

He also urged the World Bank to consider vulnerability alongside income when determining eligibility for support, as the Asian Development Bank already does.

Adeang called for an end to the embargo against Cuba and urged "dialogue grounded in full respect for sovereignty."

The Pacific island nation officially changed its name from Nauru to Naoero in July.