Nine United Nations experts said documents released on January 30 by the United States Department of Justice suggest "the existence of a global criminal enterprise" and point to troubling levels of impunity.
The files had "shocked the conscience of humanity and raised terrifying implications of the level of impunity for such crimes," they said on X.
"So grave is the scale, nature, systematic character, and transnational reach of these atrocities against women and girls, that a number of them may reasonably meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity," they said.
"These acts could amount to sexual slavery, reproductive violence, enforced disappearance, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and femicide," they said.
The alleged crimes occurred "against a backdrop of supremacist beliefs, racism, corruption, extreme misogyny, and the commodification and dehumanization of women and girls from different parts of the world", the experts said.
They urged "all competent national and international courts" to investigate and prosecute those responsible, and called for an independent and impartial investigation into how such abuses were able to continue for so long.
"It is imperative that governments act decisively to hold perpetrators accountable," the experts said.
"No one is too wealthy or too powerful to be above the law."
They also criticised what they described as "serious compliance failures" in the public release of the documents, saying sensitive information about victims was disclosed.
Failing to protect victims' privacy exposes them to possible retaliation and stigmatisation and may lead to re-victimisation or manipulation, the experts asserted.
Among those signing the statement were Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy Ana Brian Nougreres, and Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association Gina Romero.
