Steps to Address Relevant War Crimes After They Happen
If we want to prevent war crimes, we need to be prepared to address them. This article will discuss prevention, response, and recovery. It will also touch on legislation. These are important topics to address because these crimes are not easily prevented or solved, but they can be dealt with effectively.
Response
Response to relevant war crimes is a vital component of preventing and prosecuting mass atrocities. This means that the international community must not only prevent war crimes, but must also act against the perpetrators of such crimes. War crimes can occur against both combatants and non-combatants. This includes prisoners of war and civilians. The victims of war crimes must be protected by the international community, as well as by the country where the crime took place.
Recovery
Recovery after war crimes requires a comprehensive approach to address the human rights and humanitarian challenges posed by atrocity crimes. This requires developing, utilizing, and promoting measures that ensure accountability and justice. These activities should be conducted in a transparent, consultative manner and involve strategic public messaging.
Legislation
The United States should pursue legislation that addresses relevant war crimes after they occur. These serious crimes have long been ignored by the international community. In some cases, hundreds of thousands or even millions of people have been murdered and the world has done nothing to stop these atrocities. Taking action will help to stop impunity from reigning in the future.
Trust fund for victims
The Trust Fund for Victims of War Crimes (TFV) is a global organization that provides assistance to victims of war crimes. The Fund’s Board of Directors provides leadership to its work, ensuring accountability, transparency, and a commitment to victim-centered assistance. The Board meets each month, often remotely, and is charged with strategic planning and monitoring. It will also prioritize fundraising efforts and seek to win political support for its efforts.
ICC
The Rome Statute provides for two different bodies to investigate and prosecute war crimes. Each body acts separately, and the other provides a complementarity between the two bodies. Complementarity can be helpful for both the ICC and national authorities. The ICC, for its part, has the legal jurisdiction to try crimes that are beyond the reach of the national courts.
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Two Yale law professors argue that the decline of interstate war since 1945 is due to the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which ended the use of war as a national policy. Oona A. Hathaway and Scott J. Shapiro believe that war has been illegal since 1928. Whether this is true or not is debatable. In any case, the pact effectively put an end to war as a means of national policy.
Examples of war crimes
A war crime is an act of violence against civilians or civilian infrastructure that is excessive in comparison to a military advantage. In addition, war crimes are considered crimes against humanity under international law. For example, the use of cluster munitions, which explode hundreds of feet away, is prohibited. These weapons are often used to target civilians and are illegal under international law. Other war crimes include the theft of civilian property during armed conflict, unlawful seizure of weapons, and the use of prohibited gases.
