Crimes Against Humanity: the Liability of Legal Persons
Since late 2023, TRIAL International has focused on the ways in which economic actors contribute to serious human rights violations. Through litigation, documentation, and advocacy, we have demonstrated how business interests can enable, facilitate, or profit from crimes under international law. This practice-based experience underpins our commitment to addressing impunity for such crimes, particularly where economic structures play a decisive role.
For the first time, States are negotiating a dedicated international treaty on crimes against humanity.
Despite being among the gravest crimes under international law, crimes against humanity remain the only core international crimes not governed by a standalone convention. This long-standing gap has weakened prevention, accountability, and access to justice for victims.
After years of discussion, the United Nations General Assembly has launched formal negotiations toward a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. States are now engaged in a central phase of this process, which will lead to a plenipotentiary conference expected to shape the Convention’s final content in 2029.
TRIAL International is actively engaged at this critical moment.
Indeed, since late 2023, we have been contributing legal expertise and advocacy to the UN process through sustained engagement with States, participation in key meetings and side events, and the co-publication of targeted legal analyses to inform negotiations. Our work focuses on ensuring that the future Convention is not only adopted, but effective in practice.
In particular, TRIAL International is spearheading civil-society advocacy on one of the Convention’s key substantive issues: the responsibility of legal persons for crimes against humanity. To support this work, we have published a briefing paper (under this QR-Code) presenting concrete recommendations to States and inviting public endorsement.
Crimes against humanity are not committed by individuals alone: corporate actors and other legal persons have enabled, facilitated, or profited from these crimes. The negotiations now underway will determine how crimes against humanity are prevented and punished in the future.
Support from our donors is crucial at this stage: by standing with us, you help strengthen the foundations of the international justice architecture, ensuring that this historic treaty can support accountability for crimes against humanity in the decades to come.
With all our gratitude,
Pamela Capizzi
Head of Pool of Legal Expertise
