International Law
Selection of some of the most relevant documents to the prevention and punishment of atrocity crimes.
International Human Rights Law
Core treaties
- 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
- 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
- 1992 Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
- 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
Non-discrimination
- 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
- 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid
- 1978 Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice
- 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
Slavery and slavery-like practices
- 1926 Slavery Convention
- 1953 Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926
- 1956 Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery
Minorities and Indigenous Peoples
- 1989 Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (No. 169)
- 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
- 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Women and Children
- 1974 Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
- 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child
- 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women
- 2000 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Stateless Persons
- 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
- 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
- 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness
- 1985 Declaration on the Human Rights of Individuals who are not nationals of the country in which they live
Administration of Justice
- 1968 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
- 1973 Principles of International Co-operation in the Detection, Arrest, Extradition and Punishment Of Persons Guilty Of War Crimes And Crimes Against Humanity
- 1985 Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power
- 2005 Updated Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights Through Action to Combat Impunity
- 2005 Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law
International Humanitarian Law
Victims of Armed Conflict
- 1949 Geneva Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field
- 1949 Geneva Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea
- 1949 Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
- 1949 Geneva Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
- 1977 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I )
- 1977 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II)
- 2005 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III)
Means and Methods of Warfare
- 1972 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction
- 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW )
- 1980 CCW Protocol (I) on Non-Detectable Fragments
- 1980 CCW Protocol (II) prohibiting Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (as amended 1996)
- 1980 CCW Protocol (III) prohibiting Incendiary Weapons
- 1993 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction
- 1995 CCW Protocol (IV) on Blinding Laser Weapons
- 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction
- 2001 Amendment to Article 1 of the CCW
- 2003 CCW Protocol (V) on Explosive Remnants of War
- 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions
- 1946 Statute of the International Court of Justice
- 1951 Advisory Opinion - Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
- 1996 Advisory Opinion - Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons
- 2006 Judgement - Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (New application 2002) (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda)
- 2007 Judgement - Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro)
- 2012 Judgement - Questions relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite (Belgium v. Senegal)
- 2015 Judgement - Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia)
- 1945 Charter of the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg)
- 1946 Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo)
- 1993 Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
- 1994 Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
- 2010 Elements of Crimes (International Criminal Court)
- 2010 Statute of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
- 2000 Statute of the Special Court for Sierra Leone
- UNTAET Regulation No. 2000/15 on the Serious Crimes Panels in the District Court of Dili (Timor-Leste)
- UNMIK Regulation 2000/64 Panels in the Courts of Kosovo
- 2001 Law on the Establishment of Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
- Law No. 16/2002 on the War Crimes Chamber in the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 2013 Statute of the Extraordinary African Chambers within the Courts of Senegal
- 1950 International Law Commission Principles of International Law recognized in the Charter of the Nüremberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal
- 1996 International Law Commission Draft Code of Crimes Against the Peace and Security of Mankind
- 2001 International Law Commission Draft Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts
- 2011 International Law Commission Draft Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations
