Slovenia has signed the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, and Other International Crimes, a key international criminal law document adopted in Ljubljana last year.

Slovenia was one of 34 countries to sign this first major international criminal law treaty since the Roman Statute in The Hague on 14 February after 80 countries endorsed it during a diplomatic conference in Ljubljana in May.

Signing the document on behalf of Slovenia, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said the convention will consolidate the fight against impunity and the quest for justice for victims of the most atrocious international criminal acts.

"I am very happy to be signing the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention in a three-fold capacity, representing a country that actively contributes to the fight against impunity, a country that was among the document's proponents, and the host of the diplomatic conference that adopted the convention," Fajon said.

The convention on mutual legal assistance addresses legal voids, defining and consolidating the duties and responsibilities of countries as regards mutual support in cases that involve international criminal acts. The document also provides a set of tools to fight impunity and strengthens the role of national justice systems in prosecuting international criminal acts.

The minister expressed the wish that as many countries as possible sign the convention, because only its implementation in practice will make it possible to "turn the words 'Never again!' into action".

Slovenia has called on other countries to sign the document in great numbers and for a speedy ratification that will allow its taking effect. It will need to be ratified by at least 15 countries to enter into force.

"The prosecutor and I agreed that the procedures of detection and prosecution of atrocious international criminal acts must be sped up. This includes the acts in the Gaza Strip, where we are witnessing a humanitarian disaster. I hope that the MLA convention will make a significant contribution to the ICC's work," Fajon said.