Paris “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” of 1948
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1
Sovereign Law Series
Paris “Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide” of 1948
Short-Form Reference:
1948 “Convention on Crime of Genocide”
In-Line Micro Reference:
1948 “Convention on Genocide”
Ratification / Registration:
UN-GA Res. 260-A (III) Paris (09 Dec 1948)
© 2020 Sovereign Court of International Justice (SCIJ). All International Rights Reserved.
The 1979 “Berne Convention” fully protects this proprietary collection as a selection and arrangement of
works (Art. 2.5), and protects these documents as derivative works (Art. 2.3) and adaptations (Art. 12). All
unauthorized republication or distribution including online is illegal (Art. 9). “Fair Use” does not permit
infringement for unfair competition by another non-profit (17 USC 107), which is a criminal offense
punishable by 10 years imprisonment (18 USC 241; UK Copyright Act §107).
2
Introductory Notes by the Independent Judiciary
Download Sovereign Law Series – This “Sovereign Law Series” is presented by the
Sovereign Court of International Justice (SCIJ), as a proprietary system for standardized
reference and effective use of international law sources. It provides primary sources
of the modern framework of “conventional international law”, which contains
provisions to invoke “customary international law” which is the “Common Law”.
Download the “Intro & Index” (with links to all documents in the collection) here:
Introduction & Index
Independence from the UN – The United Nations (UN) is not a “world government”,
and has no authority for any type of “global governance”: The UN is prohibited to
interfere with self-determination of peoples or sovereignty of States (UN Charter,
Articles 1.2, 2.1, 2.7), and is liable for any of its own violations of international law and
rights (2012 Declaration on Rule of Law, Article 2). The UN is not a “world
parliament”, and has no authority to enact any form of “legislation”: The UN General
Assembly (GA) is only a forum for States to codify and declare general recognition of
rights and doctrines of international law (UN Charter, Article 13.1).
Reclaiming Law and Rights – The UN has no authority to “own” or “control”
international law: All the conventions actually belong to the Peoples of the Nations,
and the UN is only authorized to register and publish them (1969 Law of Treaties,
Articles 1(e), 76.1, 80; UN Charter, Article 102). Once a convention recognizes “rights”,
those “may not be revoked or modified” (1969 Law of Treaties, Articles 36.1, 37.2),
and “become binding upon” all States as “customary rules of international law” which
are “recognized” by that convention (Article 38). Therefore, all law and rights
evidenced in conventions belong to the People, and can be invoked by the People and
enforced by the Independent Judiciary, in perpetuity.
Words of Rights in Red – Operative words and phrases most effective for invoking and
enforcing Rights, which are the most used by Barristers and Judges, are printed in Red
font for ease of visual reference. Some key words may be underlined for emphasis.
Commentary in Green – [Expert commentary from Barristers and Judges may be
added in Green font, in Brackets, to guide effective use to assert and enforce rights.]
3
Official Text of this Law Source as Ratified
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide
Preamble
The Contracting Parties,
Having considered the declaration made by the General Assembly of the United
Nations in its resolution 96 (I) dated 11 December 1946 that genocide is a crime under
international law, contrary to the spirit and aims of the United Nations and
condemned by the civilized world;
Recognizing that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on
humanity, and
Being convinced that, in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge,
international co-operation is required;
Hereby agree as hereinafter provided:
Article 1
The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or
in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and
to punish.
Article 2
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with
intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as
such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring
about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
4
(d)
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Article 3
The following acts shall be punishable:
(a) Genocide;
(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;
(c)
Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
(d) Attempt to commit genocide;
(e) Complicity in genocide.
Article 4
Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall be
punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or
private individuals.
Article 5
The Contracting Parties undertake to enact, in accordance with their respective
Constitutions, the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the present
Convention, and, in particular, to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of
genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3.
Article 6
Persons charged with genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall
be tried by a competent tribunal of the State in the territory of which the act was
committed, or by such international penal tribunal as may have jurisdiction with
respect to those Contracting Parties which shall have accepted its jurisdiction.
5
Article 7
Genocide and the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall not be considered as
political crimes for the purpose of extradition.
The Contracting Parties pledge themselves in such cases to grant extradition in
accordance with their laws and treaties in force.
Article 8
Any Contracting Party may call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to
take such action under the Charter of the United Nations as they consider appropriate
for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide or any of the other acts
enumerated in Article 3.
Article 9
Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpretation, application or
fulfillment of the present Convention, including those relating to the responsibility of a
State for genocide or for any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3, shall be
submitted to the International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties to
the dispute.
Article 10
The present Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
texts are equally authentic, shall bear the date of 9 December 1948.
Article 11
The present Convention shall be open until 31 December 1949 for signature on behalf
of any Member of the United Nations and of any non-member State to which an
invitation to sign has been addressed by the General Assembly.
The present Convention shall be ratified, and the instruments of ratification shall be
deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
After 1 January 1950, the present Convention may be acceded to on behalf of any
Member of the United Nations and of any non-member State which has received an
invitation as aforesaid.
6
Instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.
Article 12
Any Contracting Party may at any time, by notification addressed to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations, extend the application of the present Convention to all
or any of the territories for the conduct of whose foreign relations that Contracting
Party is responsible.
Article 13
On the day when the first twenty instruments of ratification or accession have been
deposited, the Secretary-General shall draw up a procès-verbal and transmit a copy
thereof to each Member of the United Nations and to each of the non-member States
contemplated in Article 11.
The present Convention shall come into force on the ninetieth day following the date
of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.
Any ratification or accession effected subsequent to the latter date shall become
effective on the ninetieth day following the deposit of the instrument of ratification or
accession.
Article 14
The present Convention shall remain in effect for a period of ten years as from the
date of its coming into force.
It shall thereafter remain in force for successive periods of five years for such
Contracting Parties as have not denounced it at least six months before the expiration
of the current period.
Denunciation shall be effected by a written notification addressed to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations.
Article 15
If, as a result of denunciations, the number of Parties to the present Convention
should become less than sixteen, the Convention shall cease to be in force as from the
date on which the last of these denunciations shall become effective.
7
Article 16
A request for the revision of the present Convention may be made at any time by any
Contracting Party by means of a notification in writing addressed to the Secretary-
General.
The General Assembly shall decide upon the steps, if any, to be taken in respect of
such request.
Article 17
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notify all Members of the United
Nations and the non-member States contemplated in Article 11 of the following:
(a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions received in accordance with
Article 11;
(b) Notifications received in accordance with Article 12;
(c)
The date upon which the present Convention comes into force in
accordance with Article 13;
(d) Denunciations received in accordance with Article 14;
(e) The abrogation of the Convention in accordance with Article 15;
(f) Notifications received in accordance with Article 16.
Article 18
The original of the present Convention shall be deposited in the archives of the United
Nations.
A certified copy of the Convention shall be transmitted to each Member of the United
Nations and to each of the non-member States contemplated in Article 11.
Article 19
The present Convention shall be registered by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations on the date of its coming into force.
Sovereign Law Series
Paris “Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide” of 1948
Short-Form Reference:
1948 “Convention on Crime of Genocide”
In-Line Micro Reference:
1948 “Convention on Genocide”
Ratification / Registration:
UN-GA Res. 260-A (III) Paris (09 Dec 1948)
© 2020 Sovereign Court of International Justice (SCIJ). All International Rights Reserved.
The 1979 “Berne Convention” fully protects this proprietary collection as a selection and arrangement of
works (Art. 2.5), and protects these documents as derivative works (Art. 2.3) and adaptations (Art. 12). All
unauthorized republication or distribution including online is illegal (Art. 9). “Fair Use” does not permit
infringement for unfair competition by another non-profit (17 USC 107), which is a criminal offense
punishable by 10 years imprisonment (18 USC 241; UK Copyright Act §107).
2
Introductory Notes by the Independent Judiciary
Download Sovereign Law Series – This “Sovereign Law Series” is presented by the
Sovereign Court of International Justice (SCIJ), as a proprietary system for standardized
reference and effective use of international law sources. It provides primary sources
of the modern framework of “conventional international law”, which contains
provisions to invoke “customary international law” which is the “Common Law”.
Download the “Intro & Index” (with links to all documents in the collection) here:
Introduction & Index
Independence from the UN – The United Nations (UN) is not a “world government”,
and has no authority for any type of “global governance”: The UN is prohibited to
interfere with self-determination of peoples or sovereignty of States (UN Charter,
Articles 1.2, 2.1, 2.7), and is liable for any of its own violations of international law and
rights (2012 Declaration on Rule of Law, Article 2). The UN is not a “world
parliament”, and has no authority to enact any form of “legislation”: The UN General
Assembly (GA) is only a forum for States to codify and declare general recognition of
rights and doctrines of international law (UN Charter, Article 13.1).
Reclaiming Law and Rights – The UN has no authority to “own” or “control”
international law: All the conventions actually belong to the Peoples of the Nations,
and the UN is only authorized to register and publish them (1969 Law of Treaties,
Articles 1(e), 76.1, 80; UN Charter, Article 102). Once a convention recognizes “rights”,
those “may not be revoked or modified” (1969 Law of Treaties, Articles 36.1, 37.2),
and “become binding upon” all States as “customary rules of international law” which
are “recognized” by that convention (Article 38). Therefore, all law and rights
evidenced in conventions belong to the People, and can be invoked by the People and
enforced by the Independent Judiciary, in perpetuity.
Words of Rights in Red – Operative words and phrases most effective for invoking and
enforcing Rights, which are the most used by Barristers and Judges, are printed in Red
font for ease of visual reference. Some key words may be underlined for emphasis.
Commentary in Green – [Expert commentary from Barristers and Judges may be
added in Green font, in Brackets, to guide effective use to assert and enforce rights.]
3
Official Text of this Law Source as Ratified
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide
Preamble
The Contracting Parties,
Having considered the declaration made by the General Assembly of the United
Nations in its resolution 96 (I) dated 11 December 1946 that genocide is a crime under
international law, contrary to the spirit and aims of the United Nations and
condemned by the civilized world;
Recognizing that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on
humanity, and
Being convinced that, in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge,
international co-operation is required;
Hereby agree as hereinafter provided:
Article 1
The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or
in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and
to punish.
Article 2
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with
intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as
such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring
about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
4
(d)
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Article 3
The following acts shall be punishable:
(a) Genocide;
(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;
(c)
Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
(d) Attempt to commit genocide;
(e) Complicity in genocide.
Article 4
Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall be
punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or
private individuals.
Article 5
The Contracting Parties undertake to enact, in accordance with their respective
Constitutions, the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the present
Convention, and, in particular, to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of
genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3.
Article 6
Persons charged with genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall
be tried by a competent tribunal of the State in the territory of which the act was
committed, or by such international penal tribunal as may have jurisdiction with
respect to those Contracting Parties which shall have accepted its jurisdiction.
5
Article 7
Genocide and the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall not be considered as
political crimes for the purpose of extradition.
The Contracting Parties pledge themselves in such cases to grant extradition in
accordance with their laws and treaties in force.
Article 8
Any Contracting Party may call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to
take such action under the Charter of the United Nations as they consider appropriate
for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide or any of the other acts
enumerated in Article 3.
Article 9
Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpretation, application or
fulfillment of the present Convention, including those relating to the responsibility of a
State for genocide or for any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3, shall be
submitted to the International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties to
the dispute.
Article 10
The present Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
texts are equally authentic, shall bear the date of 9 December 1948.
Article 11
The present Convention shall be open until 31 December 1949 for signature on behalf
of any Member of the United Nations and of any non-member State to which an
invitation to sign has been addressed by the General Assembly.
The present Convention shall be ratified, and the instruments of ratification shall be
deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
After 1 January 1950, the present Convention may be acceded to on behalf of any
Member of the United Nations and of any non-member State which has received an
invitation as aforesaid.
6
Instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.
Article 12
Any Contracting Party may at any time, by notification addressed to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations, extend the application of the present Convention to all
or any of the territories for the conduct of whose foreign relations that Contracting
Party is responsible.
Article 13
On the day when the first twenty instruments of ratification or accession have been
deposited, the Secretary-General shall draw up a procès-verbal and transmit a copy
thereof to each Member of the United Nations and to each of the non-member States
contemplated in Article 11.
The present Convention shall come into force on the ninetieth day following the date
of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.
Any ratification or accession effected subsequent to the latter date shall become
effective on the ninetieth day following the deposit of the instrument of ratification or
accession.
Article 14
The present Convention shall remain in effect for a period of ten years as from the
date of its coming into force.
It shall thereafter remain in force for successive periods of five years for such
Contracting Parties as have not denounced it at least six months before the expiration
of the current period.
Denunciation shall be effected by a written notification addressed to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations.
Article 15
If, as a result of denunciations, the number of Parties to the present Convention
should become less than sixteen, the Convention shall cease to be in force as from the
date on which the last of these denunciations shall become effective.
7
Article 16
A request for the revision of the present Convention may be made at any time by any
Contracting Party by means of a notification in writing addressed to the Secretary-
General.
The General Assembly shall decide upon the steps, if any, to be taken in respect of
such request.
Article 17
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notify all Members of the United
Nations and the non-member States contemplated in Article 11 of the following:
(a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions received in accordance with
Article 11;
(b) Notifications received in accordance with Article 12;
(c)
The date upon which the present Convention comes into force in
accordance with Article 13;
(d) Denunciations received in accordance with Article 14;
(e) The abrogation of the Convention in accordance with Article 15;
(f) Notifications received in accordance with Article 16.
Article 18
The original of the present Convention shall be deposited in the archives of the United
Nations.
A certified copy of the Convention shall be transmitted to each Member of the United
Nations and to each of the non-member States contemplated in Article 11.
Article 19
The present Convention shall be registered by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations on the date of its coming into force.