Author Archives: Dan Plesch

About Dan Plesch

Dan Plesch is professor of diplomacy and strategy at SOAS University of London and a Door Tenant at the Chambers of Stephen Kay QC at 9 Bedford Row. His books include Human Rights After Hitler; America, Hitler and the UN and the Beauty Queen’s Guide to World Peace. His work on the modern relevance of the United Nations War Crimes Commission has featured in the Associated Press, the US National Public Radio, Amazon’s acclaimed documentary Getting Away with Murder(s) and Netflix’s Greatest Events of World War Two.

The United Nations War Crimes Commission 1943–1948: A Forgotten Highway to Postconflict Justice?

This article offers a critique of the Nuremberg-inspired paradigm of international criminal justice, which focuses on high-profile, top-down approaches to post-conflict accountability. To this end, it appraises the work of the United Nations War Crimes Commission as a “path not taken.” We discuss the very different approach to supporting post-conflict justice adopted by the UNWCC—from its original support base beyond the major geopolitical powers, to the impact of its more deliberative system, to the role of the UNWCC as a hub in which new practices Continue reading → Continue reading →