The Law and Policy Advisor at Amnesty International (AI), Fisseha Tekle, called Tuesday for cooperation between states ahead of the signing of a treaty aimed at fostering international cooperation in the prosecution of international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The agreement, known as the Hague Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) treaty, is due to be signed tomorrow in the Hague. In the statement, Tekle urged all the states to adopt the treaty “without reservation” and said, “Conflicts in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere underline the urgent need to strengthen the framework of international law through developments such as this treaty.”

68 states agreed to the treaty in May 2023. It establishes states’ obligations regarding legal cooperation and extradition in investigating crimes and strives to develop international law to “fight against impunity for the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes.” It aims to address certain deficiencies in international law around the detailing of mutual legal assistance and strengthen national judicial systems.

Tekle emphasized that legal cooperation between states was vital to reinforcing domestic mechanisms so that states could effectively pursue those who have committed violations of international law. Tekle went on to say, “The treaty helps ensure there are fewer ‘safe havens’ for those suspected of criminal responsibility and is an important advance against impunity.”