Drafted from 1946 to 1948, the Genocide Convention is the product of its time: a document reflecting the sociology of immediate post-WWII inter-states relations. This chapter seeks to shed light on hidden facts behind the Genocide Convention’s drafting, negotiations, and adoption processes during 1946–1948. There are secrets and surprises in the travaux préparatoires relating to the origins of the Convention, cultural and political genocide, the obligation to prevent, the issue of an international criminal court, and the question of reparations to victims of genocide. William Schabas has repeatedly recognised in his academic writing the value that can be gained from a close study of the travaux.
The International Criminal Court: An Historie Step to
Combat Impunity