Legal issues on membership of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the International Criminal Court

Goal – investigate legal issues on membership of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the International Criminal Court. Methods of research: analysis and study of legal documents containing provisions on the entry of states into the International Criminal Court. By acceding to the Rome Statute, the membership of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the International Criminal Court is always necessary as a state guided by the principles and norms of international law. It is true that for a long time there has been no unequivocal opinion on this issue in society, in scientific circles, as well as in government agencies, mainly due to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The court’s jurisdiction applies only to individuals, including those who have no jurisdiction over any crime committed before the entry into force of the Rome Statute, and therefore can only consider criminal acts alleged to have been committed after 1 July 2002. Despite all these negative circumstances, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court expands the amendments to the national legislation of the participating States, but does not oblige the State Party to adopt national legislation in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute. Although the Republic of Azerbaijan did not accede to the Rome Statute, it benefited from the provisions of this document on war crimes. In general, the fact that the Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan begins with the norms of international crimes is an indication of the great importance of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the norms of international humanitarian law. At the same time, this step demonstrates the commitment of the Republic of Azerbaijan to global values and international obligations. Discussion: offering a comprehensive and detailed study and use of this practice in academia.