Justice Beyond the Hague: Supporting the Prosecution of International Crimes in National Courts (Council Special Report)

The past two decades have been marked by an era of international court building. Established in response to war crimes, genocide, and other mass atrocities, a series of hybrid criminal courts, temporary tribunals, and the International Criminal Court have come to dominate the terrain of international criminal justice. But such institutions are equipped only to deal with the most senior perpetrators of atrocity crimes; the vast majority of perpetrators enjoy impunity.

Atop a shifting international justice landscape, Beyond the Hague urges U.S. leadership in advancing accountability through domestic and regional justice mechanisms. This Council Special Report lays forth an effective U.S. strategy that would integrate three components: the array of actors that influence international justice; the tools that can be leveraged to support domestic accountability; and the coordination, resources, and diplomacy necessary for launching an agenda that achieves international justice goals via national-level means.