In December 2000, the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery (a people's tribunal) issued a judgment finding that the Japanese government's implementation of the "comfort women" system constituted crimes.
I. Nature of the tribunal: The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal was an international people's tribunal, not a UN body. In December 2000, it heard the case of the wartime "comfort women" system and ruled that the Japanese government's implementation of the system constituted war crimes against women. (Sources: SNU Study on Japan's "Comfort Women"; War of Resistance Memorial Network; 918 Patriot Network)
II. Significance and citation note: Although the tribunal has no enforcement power, as an international civil judicial action it advanced public discussion of the "comfort women" issue at the international level. This site notes its people's tribunal nature.
(Sources: SNU Study on Japan's "Comfort Women"; War of Resistance Memorial Network; 918 Patriot Network. Data date: 2000-12.)