Genocide is a specific international crime defined as certain acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The term "genocide" was coined in 1942 by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin and legally defined in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The acts that constitute genocide include:
- Killing members of the group
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
- Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction, in whole or in part
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group
Genocide is distinct from other crimes by its specific intent to destroy a targeted group, either entirely or partially. It is recognized under international law as one of the gravest crimes against humanity. The legal definition and punishment of genocide have been established to prevent and punish such acts globally. Raphael Lemkin defined genocide as a coordinated plan aiming to annihilate national groups by destroying their political, social, cultural, and economic foundations and the personal security and dignity of their members. The Holocaust was a prominent example that shaped this definition and the international response to it. Thus, genocide involves both actions and intent focused on the destruction of particular groups based on identity characteristics such as nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion. This definition is enshrined in international conventions and law to prevent recurrence and hold perpetrators accountable.
