United Nations War Crimes Commission

The United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC), initially the United Nations Commission for the Investigation of War Crimes, was a United Nations body that aided the prosecution of war crimes committed by Nazi Germany and other Axis powers during World War II. Operating from 1943 to 1948, the UNWCC was mandated to identify and record war crimes; prepare indictments; ensure suspected war criminals were arrested; determine the legal basis for extradition and punishment; and help define crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide. It registered over 36,000 suspected war criminals and opened over 8,000 cases. The Commission did not adjudicate war crimes itself, but rather advised, supervised, and coordinated with Allied states to conduct their own trials. The UNWCC also called for the creation of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and other courts to adjudicate war crimes, and its research and expertise were subsequently utilized in support of these judicial bodies. The creation of the UNWCC is considered a landmark in the history of international law. It formulated the legal principles and procedures that would underpin international criminal law.