Mandate and functions
As declared in its Statute, the Tribunal’s competence extends to serious and systematic violations of the rights of peoples, whether committed by States, by authorities other than States, or by private groups or organizations. The Tribunal is competent to give judgments on any international crime, specifically on crimes against peace and humanity, genocide, any infringement of the fundamental rights of peoples and minorities, grave and systematic violations of the rights and freedoms of individuals. In the context of the global challenges introduced by globalization and the financialization of the economy, the PPT has developed a new area of research on economic and corporate crimes, ecological crimes, and systemic crimes.
The activity of the PPT is due to the lack of an international jurisdiction on peoples’ rights. In its judgments, the PPT has gone beyond the mere application of existing rules and has evidenced legal contradictions or gaps, in order to indicate forms of application and commitment of future positive law.
Main areas of interest: human rights, peoples’ rights, economics, finance, environment, common goods, food and land sovereignty, decent labour standards, participation and democracy.