Genocide Convention Act 1949

The Genocide Convention Act 1949 is an Australian law that approves ratification of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations at Paris in 1948. The Act was enacted on July 12, 1949, and it makes provisions for Australia's approval of ratification and extension of the application of the convention to its territories.

The Convention defines genocide as any act committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, including acts such as killing members of the group, causing serious bodily harm, and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group. The Act also provides for the enactment of legislation by Australian states and territories to give effect to the convention's provisions and for the punishment of persons guilty of genocide.

The Convention enters into force on October 12, 1949, after the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession. It remains in force for a period of ten years, with five-year extensions for those that have not denounced it six months before its expiration date.