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The Eternal Moment of Varanius.
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This is an Opinion on GA resolution "International War Crimes Convention".
Vote FOR "International War Crimes Convention" | Office of the Secretary-General
This analysis has been prepared for your consumption by the Secretary-General and his hand-selected team of writers, delegates, critics, and advisors. For more information on this team, this recommendation, or broader policy, please consult our
forum-side office.Overview: This resolution seeks to protect non-combatants -- those not in armed forces or actively engaged in hostilities, i.e. civilians, the wounded and sick, and prisoners of war -- from excessive harm during armed conflicts, be it direct harm, destruction of infrastructure, deliberate neglect or otherwise. If such excessive harm does occur, evidence is to be gathered and kept, aided by a World Assembly commission.
Analysis: War, like slavery and the environment, is another subject clearly international in scope and therefore within remit of World Assembly legislation. The moral wrongness of war crimes need not be asserted here.
In this proposal, appropriate exemptions are made for civilian infrastructure and personnel being misused for military purposes (and this practice outlawed), infrastructure primarily civilian but militarily highly relevant, and similar edge cases; avenues of undue harm against non-combatants are covered thoroughly, though not in excessive detail, and left open enough in definition to not invite descent into hairsplitting. Deliberate, knowing inaction and wilful ignorance by supervising authorities are explicitly addressed, as is grossly negligent treatment of evidence of war crimes.
The International War Crimes Convention is, in total, a piece of legislation written with good intent, care, and attention to detail.
Therefore, we strongly encourage all World Assembly member states to Vote FOR.
