Advancing a New Global Treaty for Crimes against Humanity

This extended column explains why a new treaty on crimes against humanity is needed, explaining that its goal is to clarify and strengthen the applicable legal framework and to respond to a pressing social need. It then traces the process of the convention's development over time, as well as the current status of the negotiations. Finally, it offers some reflections on the likely outcome of the negotiations. The column is informed by the author's personal observations as well as academic research, including the work of the Crimes against Humanity Initiative (Initiative) founded in 2008 at Washington University Law School that produced the first model treaty on Crimes against Humanity.