Nigeria warns against abuse of universal jurisdiction

Nigeria has cautioned against the selective application of universal jurisdiction, urging the United Nations to establish safeguards to prevent powerful countries from exploiting international criminal justice mechanisms. During the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee meeting, Nigeria's delegation warned that such practices undermine the legitimacy of international criminal justice and weaken confidence in cooperation between sovereign states.

To prevent abuse while preserving accountability for serious international crimes, Nigeria proposed several conditions, including restricting universal jurisdiction to the gravest crimes whose international character is clearly established by treaties or customary international law, and requiring prior consultation with the country directly connected to the alleged offence.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.