The primary responsibility for the prosecution of conflict-related crimes, in...

The primary responsibility for the prosecution of conflict-related crimes, including violations of women's rights, belongs to States. However, while the principle of complementarity enhances national capabilities to prosecute such crimes effectively, more efforts must be made to improve criminal justice at the national level. The international legal framework for judicial assistance to countries should be strengthened. That includes extradition between States in order to support the effective prosecution of international crimes at the national level. Having recognized that legal gap, Slovenia has been working together with the Netherlands and Belgium on an initiative to consider the possibility of adopting a new international instrument for mutual legal assistance and extradition for the effective investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes of international concern by domestic jurisdictions. We intend to continue our activities in that regard in the framework of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and invite other States to join the initiative.