Hostis humani generis
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Hostis Humani Generis is an international law term meaning "enemy of mankind." It generally refers to the particular status of pirates. Piracy is the broadest exception to the principle that a ship on the high seas is subject to the protection of, and jurisdiction of, her flag state.
Piracy is considered an offense of universal jurisdiction, such that any state may board and seize a ship engaged in piracy, and any state may try a pirate and impose sanctions according to that state's own law. Piracy is defined in article 101 of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 1958 Convention on the High Seas also regulates this exercise of jurisdiction. A more limited set of rights is granted in these treaties, under the same principle, allowing states to act against slave traders.
The term has also been extended in recent years to describe the exercise by states or the international community of universal jurisdiction in cases involving torture or genocide.