From the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide
There is a legal definition of Genocide, which can be applied in international courts.
Genocide is: "...any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group…” including: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
All such acts are violations of human rights, and may also be crimes against humanity or war crimes, depending on the context in which they were committed.
The Convention confirms that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or war, is a crime under international law which parties to the Convention undertake 'to prevent and to punish' (article 1).
Because it is a part of international customary law the Convention is considered applicable in all countries, irrespective of whether they have signed or ratified it."
Definition: What is Genocide?
From the United Nations
Office of the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide
There is a legal definition of Genocide, which can be applied in international courts.
Genocide is:
"...any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group…” including:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
All such acts are violations of human rights, and may also be crimes against humanity or war crimes, depending on the context in which they were committed.
The Convention confirms that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or war, is a crime under international law which parties to the Convention undertake 'to prevent and to punish' (article 1).
Because it is a part of international customary law the Convention is considered applicable in all countries, irrespective of whether they have signed or ratified it."