Serious economic crimes and violations of economic, social and cultural rights have often been neglected in criminal proceedings and reports of truth commissions that have followed in the wake of economic transitions or conflicts. Although such economic crimes often result in a substantial loss of wealth to the overall economy and society of the country in question, they have not been widely nor effectively prosecuted. The Balkan region is no exception to this rule. The study connects international criminal law with discourses of international human rights law, security studies, (supranational) criminology, political sciences, transitional justice and (economic) criminal law in order to find arguments as to why it is necessary to start prosecuting serious (transitional) economic offences as crimes under international law and why they should find their place in the ICC Statute. The research explains why Art. 7(1)(k) of the ICC Statute is the most plausible means to do so without violating the principle of legality. »A very valuable scientific work on a highly innovative topic. [It] offers a new theoretic frame in which international economic crimes committed as crimes of the powerful by private corporate economic actors can be related to mechanisms to prevent and punish impunity, such as the ICC.« Prof. Dr. John A.E. Vervaele, Utrecht Law School, President of AIDP »A serious and thought-provoking study. The topic is of great importance. I could not agree more with the conclusion that the time has come to consider some of the most serious, systematic and widespread economic crimes, breaching economic, social and cultural rights, as crimes under international law.« Prof. Dr. Ksenija Turković, Judge, European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg »A very courageous and intelligent piece of work.« Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Walter Perron, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg i.Br.weiterlesen