Geneva Platform on International Crimes and Justice

The Geneva Platform on International Crimes and Justice develops activities and initiatives relating to a broad range of legal and policy challenges, including:

• Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression;
• Accountability mechanisms at the international and domestic levels;
• International courts and tribunals;
• Transitional justice and post-conflict processes;
• Prevention and non-recurrence of atrocity crimes;
• Protection of affected populations and vulnerable groups;
• Peace processes and international criminal justice;
• Documentation and investigation of international crimes;
• The relationship between international humanitarian law, human rights law, and international criminal law;
• Emerging technologies and international criminal justice.

The Platform promotes both thematic and cross-cutting engagement in collaboration with States, international organizations, academic institutions, research centres, practitioners, and civil society actors.

The Geneva Platform on International Crimes and Justice serves as a space for dialogue and collaboration between academic research, legal practice and policy engagement.

Its activities include:

• Research and expert initiatives;
• Conferences, seminars and workshops;
• Policy discussions and expert consultations;
• Publications and legal analysis;
• Public discussions and knowledge-sharing initiatives;
• Collaborative activities with institutional and civil society partners.

The Platform also contributes to broader cross-platform engagement within the Geneva Academy, particularly on issues relating to prevention, protection, accountability and non-recurrence.

The Platform explores the relationship between accountability, prevention and the protection of populations affected by atrocity crimes and serious violations of international law.

Particular attention is devoted to:

• The role of accountability in preventing future violations;
• The interaction between peace negotiations and criminal justice processes;
• Transitional justice mechanisms and post-conflict reconstruction;
• Victims’ participation and protection;
• Domestic and international accountability pathways;
• Legal and institutional responses to ongoing conflicts and crises.

The Platform also develops dialogue and research initiatives examining how justice mechanisms interact with broader political, humanitarian, and peacebuilding processes.

Current and forthcoming initiatives include:

• Research and expert dialogue on accountability for atrocity crimes;
• Activities relating to peace processes and international criminal justice;
• Workshops and policy discussions on immunities and accountability;
• Research and events on accountability for crimes against children;
• Forthcoming discussions and events on the crime of aggression;
• Public engagement activities on contemporary challenges relating to international justice and accountability.

A forthcoming initiative of the Platform focuses on the contemporary challenges surrounding the crime of aggression, including questions relating to accountability, immunities, cyber operations, neutrality, and collective security. The initiative explores how international law can continue to respond to aggression and evolving forms of interstate conflict in the twenty-first century.

The Platform’s work on aggression also examines the relationship between the prohibition of the use of force, individual criminal responsibility, State responsibility, and the broader objectives of prevention, peace, and international security.

The Platform convenes:

• Academic and policy-oriented conferences;
• Expert meetings and practitioner dialogues;
• Workshops and seminars;
• Public discussions and roundtables;
• Cross-platform events on accountability, prevention and international justice.

These activities foster exchanges between scholars, judges, prosecutors, diplomats, investigators, humanitarian actors, and civil society representatives on contemporary developments in international justice and accountability.

The Platform also contributes to cross-platform public engagement activities across the Geneva Academy, including conferences, public discussions, and book launches and author conversations relating to contemporary international law and policy challenges.

The Geneva Platform on International Crimes and Justice also serves as a hub for specialized training and educational activities relating to international criminal law, accountability, and transitional justice.

These activities may include:

• Executive education initiatives;
• Tailored trainings;
• Expert workshops;
• Thematic short courses;
• Learning activities developed in connection with the Geneva Academy’s broader educational programmes, including its Summer Intensive Courses.

The Platform aims to support knowledge exchange and capacity building among practitioners, diplomats, lawyers, judges, investigators, researchers and civil society actors working on accountability and international justice issues.ssions, and book launches and author conversations relating to contemporary international law and policy challenges.