Eighty years ago, the Nuremberg Trials laid the foundation for modern international criminal law. Yet despite this legacy, there remains no standalone global treaty dedicated to the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. That gap is finally being addressed: in December 2024, the United Nations launched the process for diplomatic negotiation of a draft convention on crimes against humanity into formal negotiations, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of international criminal accountability.
This panel will first trace the legal and institutional trajectory of efforts to prevent and punish crimes against humanity from the 1945 Nuremberg Charter through the development of customary international law, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the International Law Commission’s Draft Articles, culminating in the current negotiations toward a dedicated treaty.
Members of the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, representing a range of regions, will then bring government perspectives to the discussion. Speakers will share insight into the negotiation process and the ways regional considerations may shape the treaty text. By centering the voices of those directly involved in the negotiations, the panel will shed light on both the opportunities and the challenges ahead in advancing coherent and effective international norms.
Founded in 1906, the American Society of International Law is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization. Its mission is to foster the study of international law and promote international relations grounded in law and justice. Through events, publications, research, and education, ASIL advances international law scholarship for professionals, policymakers, and the public.
12:00pm EST in Jamestown, Washington DC, and New York // 17:00GMT in London, Leicester, and Cambridge // 18:00 CET in Nürnberg // 11:00am CST in Chicago and Independence
The Robert H. Jackson Center is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization that is dedicated to presenting accurate and balanced information about complex issues. The opinions expressed by various guest speakers, panelists, and authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center, its Board, and supporters.
The Center fulfills its educational mission by welcoming diverse views and by providing a forum to explore a wide range of perspectives on often controversial legal and public policy issues. While we make an effort to ensure the information we provide is accurate and balanced, we welcome your comments, suggestions, or correction of any factual errors.
Since 2001, the Robert H. Jackson Center has preserved the values embodied in the life and works of Robert H. Jackson, who served as U.S. Solicitor General, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and Chief U.S. Prosecutor of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Through programs, presentations, exhibits, media, internships, and scholarship, the Center seeks to demonstrate to current and future generations the relevance and applicability of Justice Jackson’s ideas and writings. The Center provides educational content on the United States Constitution and Supreme Court, civil rights, the legacy of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and international human rights, and the rule of law. During his illustrious career, Justice Jackson addressed these subjects, and the Center recognizes his thinking remains relevant today.
