Contains papers delivered at an international meeting held in Trento in May 1999.

Includes bibliographical references.

[pt. I.] The International Criminal Court: its main features. Some reflections on the Rome Conference / Giovanni Conso ; The Rome Statute of the ICC: rays of light and some shadows / Mauro Politi ; The experience of the preparatory committee / Adriaan Bos ; The International Criminal Court in perspective: from the Rome Conference to the years to come / John T. Holmes ; The International Criminal Court: the role of the Security Council / Elizabeth Wilmshurst ; The role of the Security Council and the independence of the International Criminal Court: some reflections / Nabil Elaraby ; The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: exceptions to the jurisdiction / Mahnoush H. Arsanjani ; The role of the prosecutor / Silvia A. Fernandez De Gurmendi ; The International Criminal Court: jurisdiction, trigger mechanism and relationship to national jurisdictions / Hans-Peter Kaul -- [pt. II.] The International Criminal Court and the international protection of human rights. Introductory remarks / Theodor Meron ; The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and human rights / Fausto Pocar ; Crimes against humanity and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court / Roger S. Clark ; War crimes in international armed conflicts / Gabriella Venturini ; War crimes and internal conflicts in the Statute of the International Criminal Court / Luigi Condorelli ; The protection of children's rights in the Statute of the International Criminal Court / John T. Holmes ; The status of the individual in the Statute of the International Criminal Court / Lamia Mekhemar ; State's crime and individuals' crimes: what relationship? / Giorgio Conetti -- [pt. III.] The international criminal justice system after the Rome Conference. The preventive and the repressive function of the International Criminal Court / Otto Triffterer ; The International Criminal Court and national jurisdictions / Flavia Lattanzi ; Follow up to Rome: preparing for entry into force of the Statute of the International Criminal Court / William A. Schabas ; Current political developments and their impact on the future of the International Criminal Court / Phani Dascalopoulou-Livada ; The obligation to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and states not party to the Statute / Giuseppe Nesi ; Observations on the appeal before the International Criminal Court / Patrizia De Cesari ; Some remarks on the settlement of disputes in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court / Francesca Trombetta-Panigadi ; The status of third states before the International Criminal Court / Gerhard Hafner ; Criminally protected legal interests at the international level after the Rome Statute / Lorenzo Picotti -- [pt. IV.] Prospects for the functioning of the International Criminal Court. Some practical remarks on the early functioning of the International Criminal Court / Tullio Treves ; Scenarios of implementation of the Statute of the International Criminal Court / W. Michael Reisman -- Round table: prospects for the functioning of the International Criminal Court / participants: Antonio Cassese, Philippe Kirsch, Béatrice Le Fraper du Hellen, Theodor Meron, Michael Reisman, Tullio Treves, interventions: Paolo Benvenuti, Annalisa Ciampi, Mauro Politi, Elisabeth Wilmshurst ; Conclusions / Francesco Paolo Fulci.