Catching the world’s most wanted: The ICC’s impossible mission

The arrest on Tuesday of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, by police acting on an International Criminal Court warranttied to his deadly war on drugs, marks a success for the ICC, which has been struggling for almost 23 years against a lack of recognition and enforcement power.

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Backed by 125 member states, the jurisdiction seeks to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s gravest crimes when countries are unwilling or unable to do so themselves.

The wheels of international justice grind slowly, as evidenced by the court's low conviction rate.

However, it’s not all about the final judgement, experts say.

The mere fact of pursuing alleged perpetrators of atrocities sends a message that the international community is determined to fight impunity. Since it began work in 2002, the ICC has opened 32 cases for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and offences against the administration of justice.

Fourteen of them, or roughly 40 percent, are ongoing, in most cases because the suspects are still at large.

Without a police force, the Hague-based court is unlikely to catch them soon.