Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
Quick Summary
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is a United Nations treaty that defines genocide as acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. These acts include killing members, causing serious harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about destruction, imposing measures to prevent births, or forcibly transferring children.1
The term "genocide" was coined by Raphael Lemkin, inspired by atrocities during World War II, though acts of mass destruction have occurred throughout history. The convention, adopted in 1948, aims to prevent and punish genocide, making it an international crime regardless of whether it occurs in peacetime or wartime. It also criminalizes conspiracy, incitement, attempt, and complicity in genocide. Genocide is considered a grave violation of human rights and is distinct from other crimes against humanity, though it is often linked to them.12
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