In the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document (paragraphs 138 and 139), United Nations
Member States made a commitment to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic
cleansing and crimes against humanity, a principle referred to as the Responsibility to Protect.
In this context, the term atrocity crimes has been extended to include ethnic cleansing which,
while not defined as an independent crime under international law, includes acts that are serious
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law that may themselves amount to
one of the recognized atrocity crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.4
Crimes against humanity encompass acts that are part of a widespread or systematic attack
directed against any civilian population. Even if non-civilians might also become victims of the
attack, for an act to be considered a crime against humanity, the ultimate target of the attack
must be the civilian population. When speaking about potential victims of crimes against
humanity, the Framework will refer to them as a civilian population.
War crimes can be committed against a diversity of victims, either combatants or non-
combatants. In international armed conflicts, victims include those specifically protected by the
four 1949 Geneva Conventions.