CONVENTION on the PREVENTION and PUNISHMENT of the CRIME of GENOCIDE,
                                 1948

The Contracting Parties,
  Having considered the declaration made by the General Assembly of the
United Nations in its resolution 96(I) dated 11 December 1946 that genocide
is a crime under international law, contrary to the spirit and aims of the
United Nations and condemned by the civilized world;
  Recognizing that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great
losses on humanity; and
  Being convinced that, in order to liberate mankind from such an odious
scourge, international co-operation is required,

  Hereby agree as herinafter provided:

ARTICLE 1

  The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether commited in time
of peace, or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they
undertake to prevent and to punish.

ARTICLE 2

  In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts
commited with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethical,
racial or religious group as such:
  (a)  Killing members of the group;
  (b)  Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
  (c)  Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated
       to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
  (d)  Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
  (e)  Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

ARTICLE 3

  The following acts shall be punishable:
  (a)  Genocide;
  (b)  Conspiracy to commit genocide;
  (c)  Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
  (d)  Attempt to commit genocide;
  (e)  Complicity in genocide

ARTICLE 4

  Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in
Article 3 shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible
rulers, public officials or private individuals.

ARTICLE 5

  The Contracting Parties undertake to enact, in accordance with their
respective Constitutions, the necessary legislation to give effect to the
provisions of the present Convention and, in particular, to provide
effective penalties for persons guilty of genocide or of any of the other
acts enumerated in Article 3.

ARTICLE 6

  Persons charged with genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in
Article 3 shall be tried by a competent tribunal of the State in the
territory of which the act was committed, or by such international panel
tribunal as may have jurisdiction with respect to those Contracting Parties
which shall have accepted its jurisdiction.

ARTICLE 7

  Genocide and the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall not be
considered as political crimes for the purpose of extradition.
  The Contracting Parties pledge themselves in such cases to grant
extradition in accordance with their laws and treaties in force.

ARTICLE 8

  Any Contracting Party may call upon thr competent organs of the United
Nations to take such action under the Charter of the United Nations as they
consider appropriate for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide
or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3.

ARTICLE 9

  Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpretation,
application or fulfilment of the present Convention, including those
relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide or any of the other
acts enumerated in Article 3 shall be submitted to the International Court
of Justice at the request of any of the parties to the dispute.

ARTICLE 10

  The present Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian
and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall bear the date of 9 December
1948.

ARTICLE 11

  The present Convention shall be open 31 December 1949 for signature on
behalf of any Member of the United Nations and any non-member State to
which an invitation to sign has been addressed by the General Assembly.
  The present Convention shall be ratified, and the instruments of
ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.
  After 1 January 1950 the present Convention may be acceded to on behalf
of any Member of the United Nations and of any non-member State which has
received an invitation as aforesaid. Instruments of accession shall be
deposited with the Secretary of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 12

  Any Contracting Party may at any time, by notification addressed to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, extend the application of the
present Convention to all or any of the territories for the conduct of
whose foreign relations that Contracting Party is responsible.

ARTICLE 13

  On the day when the first twenty instruments of ratification or accession
have been deposited, the Secretary-General shall draw up a proses-verbal
and transmit a copy thereof to each Member of the United Nations and to
each of the non-member States contemplated in Article 12.
  The present Convention shall come into force on the ninetieth day
following the date of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification
or succession.

ARTICLE 14

  The present Convention shall remain in effect for a period of ten years
as from the date of its coming into force.
  It shall thereafter remain in force for successive periods of five years
for such Contracting Parties as have not denounced it at least six months
before the expiration of the coming period.
  Denunciation shall be effected by a written notification addressed to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 15

  If as a result of denunciations, the number of Parties to the present
Convention shall become less than sizteen, the Convention shall cease to be
in force as from the date on which the last of the denunciations shall
become effective.

ARTICLE 16

  A request for the revision of the present Convention may be made at any
time by any Contracting Party by means of a written notification in writing
addressed to the Secretary-General.
  The General Assembly shall decide upon the steps, if any, to be taken in
respect of such a request.
 
ARTICLE 17
 
  The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notufy all Members of
the United Nations and the non-member States contemplated in Article 11 of
the following:
  (a)  Signatures, ratifications and accessions received in accordance with
       Article 11;
  (b)  Notifications received in accordance with Article 12;
  (c)  The date upon which the present Convention comes into force in
       accordance with Article 13;
  (d)  Denunciations received in accordance with Article 14;
  (e)  The abrogation of the Convention in accordance with Article 15;
  (f)  Notifications received in accordance with Article 16.

ARTICLE 18

  The original of the present Convention shall be deposited in the archives
of the United Nations.
  A certified copy of the Convention shall be transmitted to each Member of
the United Nations and to each of the non-member States contemplated in
Article 11.

ARTICLE 19

  The present Convention shall be registered by the Secretary-General of
the United Nations on the date of its coming into force.