The Court may cooperate with international, regional, national, humanitarian, human-rights, civil-society, charitable, academic, professional, and other organisations where such cooperation may assist the administration of justice.
Such organisations may provide information, evidence, expert assistance, witnesses, technical assistance, humanitarian assistance, specialist knowledge, or other lawful support to the Court.
The Court may receive information or evidence from organisations including humanitarian organisations, human-rights organisations, international monitoring bodies, professional associations, research institutions, and other credible organisations.
The Court may establish formal or informal cooperation arrangements with organisations where necessary to facilitate investigations, evidence collection, victim support, witness protection, translation, expert analysis, digital evidence preservation, or other lawful functions.
Cooperation with an organisation shall not give that organisation authority over the Court, its judges, prosecutors, investigators, defence representatives, Enforcement Officers, or other Court personnel.
No organisation shall have the right to determine whether the Court investigates, prosecutes, convicts, acquits, sentences, or otherwise decides a particular case.
The Court may independently assess information received from an organisation and shall determine the evidential value and reliability of that information.
An organisation may voluntarily provide information concerning suspected offences falling within the Court's jurisdiction without requiring a formal referral where permitted under this Treaty.
The Court may initiate or continue an independent investigation after receiving information from an organisation where the Court considers that the information provides a sufficient basis for investigation.
The Court may request information or assistance from an organisation where such assistance may materially assist an investigation or proceeding.
Organisations cooperating with the Court may be required to preserve relevant evidence and information in their possession, subject to their legal obligations and applicable confidentiality requirements.
The Court may establish procedures for receiving protected information from humanitarian organisations where disclosure could endanger victims, witnesses, aid workers, investigators, or other persons.
The Court shall take reasonable measures to protect confidential sources and whistleblowers who provide information concerning serious criminal conduct.
The Court may permit qualified organisations to participate in proceedings as observers, amici curiae, experts, or other authorised participants where their participation would assist the Court.
Participation by an organisation shall not create a right to intervene in judicial decision-making.
The Court may cooperate with international organisations concerning the location, identification, protection, detention, transfer, or other lawful treatment of persons subject to Court orders where such cooperation is lawful.
The Court may cooperate with organisations concerning the recovery, preservation, identification, or analysis of evidence located in different countries.
The Court may cooperate with organisations specialising in: a. genocide and mass atrocities; b. war crimes; c. crimes against humanity; d. human trafficking and sexual exploitation; e. crimes against children; f. financial crime and corruption; g. cybercrime and digital evidence; h. environmental crime; i. forensic investigation; j. victim and witness protection; k. missing persons and identification; l. humanitarian assistance; and m. other areas relevant to the jurisdiction of the Court.
The Court may cooperate with international law-enforcement and judicial networks where such cooperation assists lawful investigations, arrests, detention, evidence collection, or enforcement.
Cooperation shall not require the Court to adopt the political position, policies, conclusions, or institutional interests of the organisation providing assistance.
The Court shall remain independent from all external organisations and shall make its own judicial, prosecutorial, investigative, and enforcement decisions.
The Court may refuse cooperation or information where it considers that accepting it would compromise judicial independence, create a conflict of interest, threaten the fairness of proceedings, or create an unacceptable security risk.
No organisation shall receive preferential treatment in Court proceedings solely because it has provided funding, evidence, information, personnel, technical assistance, or other support.
Any financial or material support provided by an organisation shall remain subject to Article 37 concerning financial independence.
The Court may publicly acknowledge organisations that provide lawful assistance where doing so does not compromise investigations, victims, witnesses, confidentiality, or judicial independence.
The Court may establish a public register of approved cooperation agreements and participating organisations, subject to appropriate security and confidentiality protections.
Nothing in this Article prevents individuals, organisations, or members of the public from providing information concerning suspected offences directly to the Court.
The Court may consider information from multiple independent sources and may initiate its own investigation where the combined information provides a reasonable basis for doing so.
The Rules of the Court shall establish detailed procedures concerning cooperation agreements, information received from organisations, evidence, confidentiality, expert participation, observers, humanitarian organisations, human-rights organisations, law-enforcement cooperation, conflicts of interest, and external assistance.