Greece
Practice Relating to Rule 161. International Cooperation in Criminal Proceedings
In 1998, Greece adopted Law No. 2665 on cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda which regulates cooperation between the Greek State and these international tribunals.
In 2006, during a debate in the UN Security Council on protection of civilians in armed conflict, the permanent representative of Greece stated:
Respect for the principles of the rule of law and international humanitarian law and the need to fight impunity are essential for civilian protection. States and non-state actors have the obligation to respect international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law and perpetrators should be brought to justice. In this respect the role of the ICC and its impact on those committing such atrocities could be crucial and the international community as well as the States concerned should fully cooperate with it and support its difficult task.
Holding perpetrators to account [for] grave violations against children continues to be rare … and yet is a crucial element towards protecting children’s rights … In those cases where national authorities are unwilling or unable to hold perpetrators to account, due to lack of capacity or resources for instance, international justice mechanisms, including through the work of the International Criminal Court, and
ad hoc and mixed tribunals, can and should play a complementary role.