UN one step closer to treaty to punish crimes against humanity

Sub : IR

Sec : Int org

Context:

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that paves the way for negotiations on a first-ever treaty on preventing and punishing crimes against humanity.
The resolution was approved by consensus in the General Assembly’s legal committee, which includes all 193 UN member states, following tense negotiations, particularly with Russia.
The resolution was led by Mexico and Gambia, with backing from 96 other countries.

Importance of the Treaty:

There has been growing incidences of crimes inflicted on civilians, such as those in Ethiopia, Sudan, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Myanmar.
The treaty process is seen as a critical step toward accountability for the growing number of crimes against humanity worldwide, aiming for a survivor-centric and progressive legal framework.
This treaty aims to fill a gap in international law, as while global treaties exist for war crimes, genocide, and torture, there has been no specific treaty for crimes against humanity.
These crimes include actions like murder, torture, sexual slavery, and deportation.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) addresses some of these issues, but its jurisdiction does not cover all countries.

Negotiation Process:

The resolution outlines a time-bound process with preparatory sessions scheduled for 2026 and 2027, followed by three-week negotiation sessions in 2028 and 2029 to finalize the treaty.

Jurisdictional issue of ICC:

International Criminal Court, which punishes major perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, currently has 124 member countries. However, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over nearly 70 other countries.
The ICC defines crimes against humanity as large-scale attacks on civilians, including murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, and torture.