On 3 November 2025, at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, a discussion was held with the embassy’s legal advisor, Philipp Socha, along with legal advisors from Portugal, Sweden, Norway, the UK and Uruguay, regarding plans for the adoption of a convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity by the international community. Also in attendance was Nuremberg expert and close friend of the Academy, Professor John Q. Barrett.
Crimes against humanity were prosecuted for the first time during the Nuremberg Trial of the Major War Criminals. Since then, they have been a cornerstone of international criminal justice, yet they are often overshadowed by genocide. The discussion focused particularly on why a dedicated convention on crimes against humanity is necessary and what advancements such a convention could bring in the fight against mass atrocities.
The UN has adopted a roadmap extending to 2029, at which point a major international conference is scheduled to deliberate on and adopt the convention. This would highlight the importance of crimes against humanity and establish them as equal in status to genocide. (cs/bk)