The Republic of Cyprus reaffirmed its commitment to the adoption of a legally binding international convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity during its statement before the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly at its 81st session.
Aligning itself with the statement of the European Union and its Member States, Cyprus welcomed progress following the General Assembly’s decision to convene a United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the issue.
The Permanent Representative of Cyprus at the UN, Ambassador Maria Michael also highlighted Cyprus’ active participation in the first session of the Preparatory Committee last January.
“The absence of a dedicated global convention on crimes against humanity constitutes a significant gap in the existing international legal framework,” she stressed.
Cyprus noted that, while genocide and war crimes are addressed by widely ratified conventions, crimes against humanity remain without a dedicated treaty framework, despite the fact that they may occur both during armed conflict and in peacetime.
According to the statement, a future convention would reinforce prevention and punishment, strengthen cooperation among States, help harmonize domestic legislation and promote accountability.
Ambassador Michael emphasized that the draft articles adopted by the International Law Commission in 2019 “constitute a sound and coherent foundation for the negotiations ahead.”
“Prevention must remain at the heart of our efforts, as it is fundamental to protecting human dignity,” she said.
Cyprus also stressed the importance of ensuring that the future Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court are mutually reinforcing, while emphasizing that the future Convention must preserve the integrity of the Rome Statute framework.
She highlighted Cyprus’ participation in submitting proposals for amendments to the draft articles, emphasizing effective prevention, accountability and the protection of victims’ rights, including appropriate safeguards for children.
Finally, she expressed Cyprus’ readiness to engage constructively in the second session of the Preparatory Committee in April 2027 and supported the timely completion of procedural arrangements for the first session of the Conference in 2028.