The chief prosecutor of the world's first permanent war crimes court has been sworn in.
Argentinian lawyer Mr Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who made his name prosecuting members of Argentina's military junta for abuses during its 1980-84 "dirty war", will lead prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"We must learn there is no safe haven for life and freedom if we fail to protect the life of any person in any country in the world," Mr Moreno-Ocampo said at the ceremony in the Peace Palace in The Hague.
The United States, Russia and China - three of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - object to the court, with Washington launching a campaign to ensure it does not try to prosecute US citizens.
The court, whose 18 judges were inaugurated in March, was set up with the backing of 90 countries to try genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes around the world. But dozens of countries have spurned calls to back the court.
Legal and human rights activists said the court's first cases were likely to focus on Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both of which have ratified the court treaty.
"We expect him to become a champion for justice. We expect him to be impervious to any pressure from governments. This is essential to the credibility of Luis Moreno-Ocampo's tenure as prosecutor," Human Rights Watch spokesman Mr Richard Dicker said.