Abstract
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide contains a preamble and 19 articles. In the preamble of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Genocide, it is noted that "at all periods of histry genocide has inflicted great loss on humanity". Without going back to the dawn of man, it can be seen from a unmber of historical facts that the course of human histry has too often been marked by numerous cases where national, ethnic, racial or religious groups were destroyed. For example, in the period shortly before and during the Second World War, the nezis of Germany used genocide as a weapon against certain groups. The general Assembly affirmed that "genocide was a crime under international law which the civilized world condemend". The draft was considered and revised by General Assembly and approved and proposed for signature and ratification by the Assenbly on 9 December 1948, one day before the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide took effect on 12 January 1951. As of 1 January 1978 the Convention has been ratified or acceded to by 82 States.
