Over 30 countries sign new war crime treaty in The Hague

Thirty-two countries signed the new Ljubljana - The Hague treaty against international war crimes in the Peace Palace in The Hague. With this, it will be easier for countries to work together for the search, persecution, and extradition of people who are accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The intention is that such crimes can no longer go unpunished. "The fight against impunity is essential for peace, stability, justice, and the rule of law," the treaty says.

State Secretary Van der Brug signed on behalf of the Netherlands. The Dutch government has had a new convention high on the list of priorities for years and took the initiative in 2011 by making a treaty with Belgium and Slovenia. According to Van der Burg, the current agreements on legal assistance and extraditions were "incomplete and outdated," and a new, more effective agreement was therefore needed. Countries must work together to ensure that "the most cruel crimes of humanity don't go unpunished." The responsibility of persecuting the perpetrators will stay with the national courts.

Argentina's Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, chair of the conference, said the treaty should be seen as a "practical toolbox" for prosecutors. She says the agreements complement the International Criminal Court rather than replace them. It could prevent, for example, a crime being committed in one country, the victim living in another, and the perpetrator residing in a third country being a problem. It may then be necessary for countries to work together to exchange evidence. This wasn't easy in the past, but it should be smoother from now on.

Almost eighty countries agreed on the treaty's content last May, which has now been ceremonially signed by a group of 32. The rest of the countries were not represented in The Hague and will sign at a later date. Among the signees were countries from the European Union, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. The United States, Russia, and China are not signing the treaty. Fernández is satisfied with the number of countries that have now signed but hopes that as many countries as possible will join soon. "We need to be patient."