Closing the impunity gap: The Imperative for a dedicated Convention on Crimes Against Humanity

Introduction

The just-concluded 25th Session of the Kenya Model United Nations provided us with vital insights into whether the world will finally fix a major missing piece in the three main pillars of international justice. Historically, while the international community swiftly moved to codify the prohibition of genocide in the 1948 Genocide Convention and the laws of armed conflict in the 1949 Geneva Conventions, crimes against humanity (CAH) have remained devoid of a dedicated, standalone multilateral treaty. This historical omission has left a profound enforcement gap in the global fight against impunity. Although the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines CAH for the purposes of the Court’s jurisdiction, it inherently lacks the structural capacity to foster comprehensive inter-state cooperation. However, driven by the critical foundational work of the International Law Commission (ILC) and catalyzed by historic breakthroughs in the United Nations General Assembly, the global community is finally on the precipice of finalizing a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. Consequently, this article explores the necessity of this proposed convention, critically analyzing the legal framework provided by the ILC Draft Articles, the real world diplomatic momentum culminating in the recent January 2026 Preparatory Committee meetings, and the profound implications the treaty will hold for domestic mechanisms and universal jurisdiction. 

The normative gap in International criminal law

The conceptualization of crimes against humanity emerged forcefully during the Nuremberg trials to address systemic atrocities committed against civilian populations, largely by their own governments. Despite this early recognition, the Cold War and subsequent geopolitical paralysis prevented the drafting of a specialized treaty. Consequently, the prosecution of CAH has relied heavily on the statutes of ad hoc tribunals, hybrid courts, and ultimately, the Rome Statute. However, relying solely on the Rome Statute to govern crimes against humanity is legally and practically insufficient. The Rome Statute establishes a vertical regime of cooperation; it governs the relationship and obligations between States Parties and the ICC itself. It does not create a comprehensive horizontal framework governing obligations between states regarding mutual legal assistance, extradition, and intelligence sharing. Furthermore, the ICC is fundamentally a court of last resort, operationalized through the principle of complementarity. It was never designed to try every perpetrator of international crimes, nor does it possess read more...