Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide Weston Churchill Paper

• Paper 1: Introduction to the treaty  

In this paper, you will discuss the background of the treaty Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide (1948) , its aims, and the patterns by which states have ratified it. Specifically, please answer the following questions:

1. What are the origins of the treaty? In other words, where did the impetus for the treaty come from and how did it come about? What states (or non-state actors) led the effort to create such a treaty? What problems were they trying to address? (You will need to conduct research to answer this question.)
2. What are the object and purpose of the treaty? In other words, what are the treaty’s goals? What is it trying to accomplish, both in narrow terms and broader terms? Show me that you have read the treaty by quoting from key articles that speak to the goals of the treaty.
3. How is the treaty divided? What are its major sections? What is each section trying to accomplish?
4. What compromises appear to have been made at the negotiating table? To answer this question you will have to do some research or try and assess the specificity of certain articles in the treaty (lack of specificity tends to be a result of compromises, are there things missing in the treaty that were likely excluded due to compromises)?
5. What is the current status of the treaty? In other words, when was the treaty adopted and when did it enter into force? What were the conditions for it entering into force? How many states have ratified the treaty today?
6. What patterns (e.g. geographical, political, temporal, etc.) can you identify by which states have ratified the treaty, and what are some possible explanations for these patterns? In other words, why have some states ratified the treaty while others have not? What kinds of states may have an interest in the treaty and what kinds may have an interest in not ratifying it? Are ratifications clustered by place, time, or political, economic, or social characteristics and what does this tell you about why states have ratified the treaty? Did any states add reservations to the treaty? If so, any patterns in the reservations?