The Secretary General said he was following the Rome deliberations "with greatest interest and attention."

Annan also reiterated his remarks at the opening of the meeting on June 15 that "the overriding interest must be that of the victims and of the international community as a whole. The court must be an instrument of justice, not expedience. It must be able to protect the weak against the strong."

"It is obvious that many questions still remain to be solved. Even if it could be expected that this would be the case also at a relatively late stage of the deliberations, time is nevertheless running short," to meet the July 17 deadline, Annan said.

But while it is important to finishon time, he said the Court coming out of the Conference must also be "strong and independent enough to carry out its task" and demonstrate that "an international conscience is a reality."