A) Objectives of the pledge:
There is a global consensus that there should be no impunity for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, which find their antecedent in the rules of IHL. Investigation and prosecution of such crimes fall primarily under the responsibility of States. In order to successfully prosecute these crimes in domestic courts, effective cooperation among States is essential.
With the aim to establish a modern multilateral procedural treaty on mutual legal assistance and extradition to facilitate efficient practical cooperation between States investigating and prosecuting these crimes, Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Senegal and Slovenia formed the Core Group that launched the MLA (mutual legal assistance) initiative. As a result, a Diplomatic Conference was held on May 2023 in Ljubljana, Slovenia at the end of which The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention was adopted. After that major step, on February 14 and 15, 2024 in The Hague, 33 countries signed The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention, a historic international treaty that will help bring justice to victims of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes by facilitating effective and efficient international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of the aforementioned crimes. As of 24 September 2024, 36 states have signed the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention.
Objective of the pledge: To ensure a broader awareness regarding the existence of this landmark international treaty, that will help deliver justice to victims of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes by facilitating effective and efficient international cooperation in the domestic investigation and prosecution of these crimes.
We pledge to raise awareness of the potential of the Convention, by encouraging States to sign and ratify this treaty, which will usher in a new era of cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes at the national level.
B) Action plan:
Amongst the measures that States may take as part of the implementation of the above objectives are the following:
– For States that have not yet signed The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention, to consider such a signature;
– For States that have signed The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention, to consider its ratification;
– For States that have signed or ratified The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention, to encourage other States that have not yet done so, to sign and ratify it;
– Use and encourage the use of the provisions contained in The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention;
– Raise awareness and understanding of The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention in multilateral or regional fora, and highlight its relevance in bilateral contacts;
– Raise awareness and understanding of The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention among the general public.
– Raise awareness and understanding of The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention among judicial actors, particularly judges and prosecutors, including by organizing workshops on challenges and exchange of experience related to mutual legal assistance and implementation of this convention.
C) Indicators for measuring progress:
– Number of States having signed The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention;
– Number of States having ratified The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention;
– Number of events in international or national fora on The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention;
– Number of references to The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention in documents adopted in international or national fora;
– Number of references to The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention in the public domain.
D) Resource implications:
States will determine the resources that may be required to support the implementation of this pledge based on actions to be taken in their specific context.