The European Union has long prioritised accountability and the fight against impunity for serious international crimes within its justice and human rights agenda, with several Member States establishing specialised units to investigate and prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and related atrocities. Central to these efforts is the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows States to prosecute individuals for such crimes regardless of where they occurred or the nationality of those involved. This briefing paper, by REDRESS and the Global Initiative against Impunity and funded by the European Union, outlines how the European Union can use universal jurisdiction to end impunity for international crimes.
