UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the revocation by the United States of former President Donald Trump's executive order on sanctions against senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC plays an important role in advancing accountability for international crimes. The secretary-general affirms the continued cooperation of the United Nations under the Relationship Agreement between the United Nations and the ICC, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, in a statement.

The new U.S. administration led by President Joe Biden on Friday revoked Trump's executive order of June 11, 2020.

The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

(Cover: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, U.S., December 9, 2020. /Xinhua)