Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The European network of national contact points was created by decision 2002/494/JHA, of 13 June 2002, of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Its objective is to promote cooperation between Member States in the fight against genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by designating a contact point, within each Member State’s police and justice services, to exchange any and all information of relevance to serious violations of international law.

All Member States have signed or ratified the Rome Statute, of 17 July 1998, on creation of the International Criminal Court. However, the International Criminal Court remains supplemental to the national criminal courts, which are still the ones primarily responsible for investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

At the time of adoption of common position 2001/443/CFSP of the Council on the International Criminal Court, the Member States expressed their willingness to collaborate in the fight against certain types of criminal deeds, viz. genocide and crimes against humanity.

Each Member State must designate a national contact point for exchange of any and all information pertaining to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.