The International Criminal Court's (ICC) management body welcomed on Wednesday the United States' first-ever attendance of one of its meetings as a sign of changing policy. 

The US decision to send an observer team to the eighth session of the Assembly of States Parties "is a very important gesture on the part of the US administration," assembly president Christian Wenaweser told journalists in The Hague.

The US is not a signatory of the Rome Statute which set up the court, fiercely opposed by former president George W. Bush who feared it could target Americans out of political bias considering US dominance around the world.

"It is the most concrete expression that we have seen so far that the policies in place under the past administration are changing," said Wenaweser.

"Symbolically, politically, the presence of the US delegation is of a very, very high importance."

Assembly of State Parties (ASP)
The ASP is the management, oversight and legislative body of the ICC. It is made up of representatives of member parties, and approves the court's annual budget -- expected to be around 102 million euros (about 150 million dollars) for 2010.

Its annual meeting started in The Hague on Wednesday, and ends on 26 November.

Wenaweser said he expected the US also to attend an ICC review conference, to be held in Kampala, Uganda, in May next year, though he did not have official confirmation.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in August it was a "great regret" that her country had not yet signed up to the ICC.

President Barack Obama's administration has previously said that it is reviewing the US position on the court.

A total of 110 countries are parties to the ICC, the world's only independent, permanent tribunal for adjudicating genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ICC started operating in The Hague in July 2002.

Source: AFA