Clinton signs Rome Statute joining the International Criminal Court framework

The United States joined 120 other nations in signing the Rome Statute on July 17, 1998, establishing the International Criminal Court. The Clinton administration signed the treaty at the end of Clinton's term on December 31, 2000 — within the final hours before the signing deadline — over objections from military and congressional leaders. The treaty required Senate ratification to take effect domestically; Clinton transmitted the treaty to the Senate, which never scheduled a ratification vote.