VOA标准英语2011-ICC in Nairobi as Kenya Looks

As an African Union summit that could sanction Kenya's non-cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) begins, the international community is bearing down on Kenya as signatories to the Rome Statute¹ arrive to gauge² the country's commitment to the court.

The African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is being anxiously watched by observers in Nairobi and The Hague. One of the items on the agenda could be the deferment⁴ of Kenya's post-election-chaos trial at the International Criminal Court.

The Kenyan government has been pushing for this shield against the Court, and the past two weeks have seen a sort of African shuttle diplomacy⁵, with Vice⁶ President Kalonzo Musyoka jetting around the continent to rally support. Musyoka has reportedly secured the blessings⁷ of South African President Jacob Zuma, Ugandan Leader Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopian President Meles Zenawi, all major players in the continental⁸ body.

Some politicians in Kenya support the deferral⁹ on the grounds that a local trial would better serve the cause of justice, but that stance has been controversial. Prime Minister Raila Odinga recently came out in favor of ICC trials. Kenyan MP and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Richard Onyonka said local trials would only be possible if certain steps are taken.

"Kenya can have a deferment, but there are things we must do," said Onyonka. "We must put a judiciary which is believable, which is beyond reproach. We must make sure that we start engaging the Security Council to make sure that we explain to them why feel that there is a necessity to have a local tribunal. "

Plans to seek a deferral of the Kenyan case could take shape at the parallel Intergovernmental Authority on Development Summit Sunday. IGAD support would set the stage for African Union approval the following day.

But international criticism is mounting as the meeting nears. The President of the Assembly of States Parties, Christian¹⁰ Wenaweser, came out against Kenya's deferment push, arguing the Court is a critical component¹¹ in the fight against impunity¹².

The Assembly of States Parties is the legislative¹³ and political body of the ICC. Weneweser is in Kenya on a two-day fact-finding mission that will include meetings with senior government officials and civil society to discuss the country's commitment to the court.

If the African Union agrees to support Kenya, it will submit a written request to the U.N. Security Council to defer³ the Kenyan case. Under court rules, the Security Council may request a one-year deferment from the court in case of a threat to international peace.

More than 1,000 people were killed and 300,000 displaced after Kenya's disputed presidential elections in December of 2007. Ethnic violence ripped through the country for nearly two months until then-rivals President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga signed a political accord ending the chaos

1 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

2 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

3 defer   

vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从

参考例句：

• We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
• We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。

4 deferment   

n.迁延，延期，暂缓

参考例句：

• The bank do not allow further deferment of his payment. 银行不容许他再次推迟付款。 来自互联网
• Students are to refer to the regulations governing course deferment, refund and withdrawal the Student's Handbook. 学生需要参考学生手册上有关推迟入学、退费和退学的相关规定。 来自互联网

5 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

9 deferral   

n.延期，缓役

参考例句：

• It also calls for the deferral of a share of bonuses. 协议还要求一部分奖金延期发放。 来自互联网
• Even implementing the interest-deferral scheme for homeowners has proved inconveniently tricky. 甚至是对房主实行的推迟利息的方案，结果证明也是极不方便的。 来自互联网

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

12 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

13 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。