Hostages Convention
| International Convention against the Taking of Hostages | |
|---|---|
| Type | International criminal law, anti-terrorism |
| Drafted | 17 December 1979 |
| Signed | 18 December 1979 |
| Location | New York |
| Effective | 3 June 1983 |
| Condition | 22 ratifications |
| Signatories | 39 |
| Parties | 176 |
| Depositary | UN Secretary-General |
| Languages | Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish |
The Hostages Convention (formally the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages) is a United Nations treaty by which states agree to prohibit and punish hostage taking. The treaty includes definitions of "hostage" and "hostage taking" and sets out the principle of aut dedere aut judicare: a party to the treaty must prosecute a hostage taker if no other state requests extradition for prosecution of the same crime.