The Magna Carta For The Nuclear Age
A Universal Declaration of Individual Accountability
Prepared by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, October 1991

Preamble

Affirming that all people of the World are entitled to life, liberty and other basic human rights;

Believing that all individuals, states and international organizations share in the responsibility to ensure peace, protect human rights and sustain the common heritage of the planet;

Acknowledging the significant efforts of the United Nations and other international organizationstoward these ends;

Committed to the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Nuremberg Principles;

Convinced that nuclear, chemical and biological weapons have no place in a civilized World order;

Further convinced that survival in the nuclear age requires adherence to principles of justice and the World rule of law;

Determined to establish a just, peaceful and civilized World order in the twenty-first century,

We proclaim this Magna Carta for the Nuclear Age.

Article I

All individuals, including Heads of State, Ministers of Government, industrial, scientific and military leaders, shall be held personally accountable under international law for planning, preparing, initiating or committing the following acts:

• Crimes against peace, including waging a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties.
• War crimes, including deliberate attacks against civilian populations, the use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, and other grave breaches of humanitarian law.
• Crimes against humanity, including genocide, torture, and other serious mass violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
• Crimes against the environment, including intentional spoliation of living habitats.
• Economic crimes against a people or nation, including slavery in all forms.
• Terrorism, piracy, kidnapping, hostage taking, and the training, support or sheltering of persons engaged in such crimes.
• Illicit trafficking in arms or narcotics, and all acts in furtherance of such crimes.
• Covert acts to overthrow or destabilize a legitimate foreign government, including assassination.
• Deliberate persecution or denial of civil rights on grounds of race, color, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.

Article II

The World Community shall ensure the further codification of these provisions through the continuing activities of the United Nations and other international organizations, and shall ensure compliance with them by establishing and maintaining the following institutions:

• An International Commission of Inquiry to engage in fact finding and certification of cases for trial;
• An International Criminal Court, composed of distinguished jurists, to try cases certified by the International Commission of Inquiry;
• International Police Forces to enforce the orders of the International Criminal Court;
• An International Criminal Penitentiary for confinement of convicted offenders; and
• A Center for the Advancement of International Criminal Law and Justice, independent of governments, to assist in codification of international criminal law and monitoring the implementation of this Charter.
• An International Commission of Inquiry to engage in fact finding and certification of cases for trial;
• An International Criminal Court, composed of distinguished jurists, to try cases certified by the International Commission of Inquiry;
• International Police Forces to enforce the orders of the International Criminal Court;
• An International Criminal Penitentiary for confinement of convicted offenders; and
• A Center for the Advancement of International Criminal Law and Justice, independent of governments, to assist in codification of international criminal law and monitoring the implementation of this Charter.

Article III

These provisions, upon adoption, may be added to, abridged or altered by the common consent of the World Community of nations and peoples, but without amendment they shall be binding in perpetuity.