On the occasion of the 6th Committee (Legal) of the UN General Assembly general debate on “Conference on crimes against humanity”, the undersigned organizations and individuals would like to reiterate their full support for the progress achieved at previous 6th Committee sessions and by the first Preparatory Committee in advancing the future Convention. In a multilateral system where progress often stalls, this treaty represents a rare opening to reshape global justice and reassert the rule of law.
The undersigned are members of the newly created Coalition for a Crimes against Humanity Convention (C-CAH), a civil society group of academics, independent experts and NGOs committed to working together to achieve an effective, victim/survivor-centric and non-discriminatory convention for the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity.
The undersigned welcome the decision of the first Preparatory Committee to extend participation in the future negotiating conference to engaged non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions and the private sector not in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), taking into account the principles of transparency, equitable geographical representation and gender parity.
We urge States and the Secretariat to operationalize this decision in a way that ensures the ability of diverse civil society to participate in the ongoing work of the Preparatory Committee and in the future Conference.
Going forward, it is crucial that civil society stakeholders and observers:
- Are afforded the opportunity to submit requests to participate in the Conference in a timely manner, including in the second session of the Preparatory Committee and any other related fora;
- Are accorded full rights of participation, including to attend and effectively address all formal meetings, and to receive and submit materials; and
- Are able, should they so choose, to participate in all relevant meetings in person, without undue restrictions, including as to the number and size of delegations.
The undersigned note with interest the proposals made by States for amendment of the Draft Articles. The proposals that are aimed at strengthening or expanding the protection of all persons from the scourge of crimes against humanity are welcomed and should be part of the future negotiations. States should use the time period before the conference to:
- Organize consultations on issues of substance as per UNGA Resolution 79/122, which could be global, regional, national or thematic, and should include civil society and relevant experts; and
- Consult broadly with victims and survivors on their priorities and how they wish to be engaged in treaty-making, adoption and implementation processes, and facilitate their
engagement through adequate funding, assistance, accommodation, outreach and public information activities.
Overall, we call upon all States to ensure:
- An inclusive, transparent and non-discriminatory negotiation process that advances the participation of diverse, cross-regional civil society, including victims and survivors of crimes against humanity;
- A gender-competent negotiation process and convention that meaningfully recognizes gender-based harms, incorporates gender expertise, and ensures gender parity across delegations;
- An intersectional negotiation process and convention that are shaped by victims’ multidimensional experiences;
- That the negotiation process and the convention enhance, rather than undermine, contemporary international legal standards, including those addressing human rights; and,
- If circumstances impede inclusive in-person participation in New York coming from all UN Member and Observer States, States should consider moving meetings to a venue outside the United States of America.
The undersigned organization and individuals stand ready to provide assistance in this endeavour and engage constructively with proposals genuinely aimed at enhancing the current Draft Articles.
For further information, see here.
Endorsed By:
Organizations
1. Adifevea World
2. Africa Legal Aid (AFLA)
3. AIDL International Foundation
4. Alliance Internationale pour la défense des Droits et des Libertés (AIDL)
5. Amnesty International
6. Asia Justice Coalition
7. Avaaz
8. Center for Ah Nyar Studies
9. Center for Human Rights Advocacy
10. Center for Justice and Accountability
11. Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
12. Center for Peace and Justice, BRAC University
13. Center for Truth and Justice
14. Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
15. DORNA
16. European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)
17. Every Casualty Counts
18. Feminist Majority Foundation
19. FIBGAR – Baltasar Garzón International Foundation
20. Fortify Rights
21. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
22. Global Justice Center
23. Human Rights Watch
24. INMAA for Development
25. International Commission of Jurists
26. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
27. International Human Rights Clinic, School of Law, Boston University
28.Jubilee Campaign
29. Lawyers for Human Rights
30. MADRE
31. Permanent Peace Movement
32. Prevention of Crimes against Humanity Project, Colombia Law School
33. Protections Lens
34. PSCORE
35. Route Justice
36. SAF-TESO
37. Save the Children International
38. Syrian Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC)
39. Syrian Network for Human Rights
40. The National Forum for Human Rights (NFHR)
41. UpRights
42. US International Council on Disabilities
43. Validity Foundation
Individuals
44. Abdelouahab Gain, Sahrawi NGO Alliance, Morocco
45. Abhilash Aggarwal, Christ University, India
46. Ahmed Suleiman, Ardo Jam & Associates, Nigeria
47. Akila Radhakrishnan, Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, United States of America
48. Alessandra De Tommaso, Middlesex University, United Kingdom
49. Alison Bisset, University of Reading, United Kingdom
50. Alyssa Yamamoto, End Gender Apartheid Campaign, United States of America
51. Anna Whaley, Save the Children, United Kingdom
52. Armen Matabishi Rhugereza, Adifevea World, Democratic Republic of the Congo
53. Bhumika Nanda, School of Law, Bennett University, India
54. Bongwong Justin, Enough for All Organization, Cameroon
55. Craig Dermody, Australia
56. David Donat Cattin, NYU Center for Global Affairs, United States of America
57. David Eichert, University of Oxford, France
58.Delphine Valette, Spain
59.Ezequiel Jimenez Martinez, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
60. Farouk Guernane, University of Algiers, Algeria
61. Federico Gaitan, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law, Argentina
62. Fernanda Moura Queiroz Santos de Oliveira, Brazil
63. Gissou Nia, End Gender Apartheid Campaign, United States of America
64. Hannah Garry, Gilbert Global Justice & Human Rights Center, USC Gould School of Law, United States of America
65. Hans Sallata, The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, Indonesia
66. Hayley Evans, Germany
67. Indai Sajor, Women’s Tribunal Feminist Collective, United States of America
68. Jocelyn Getgen, Cardozo School of Law, United States of America
69. Julie Bardeche, REDRESS, The Netherlands
70. Lahbib Naaimi, Law for Palestine, Morocco
71. Leila Sadat, Washington University School of Law, United States of America
72. Mahya Ostovar, University of Galway and Iranian Democratic Diaspora Network in Ireland, Ireland
73. Maria Beldi Alcantara, University of São Paulo, Brazil
74. Mark Simonoff, American Society of International Law, United States of America
75. Marta Velez Rodriguez, Spain
76. Mathias Holvoet, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
77. Michael Tiu Jr, University of the Philippines College of Law, Philippines
78. Mohamed Ahmed Zakaria Shehata, Al Azhar university, Egypt
79. Monica Castillejos-Aragón, UC Berkeley, School of Law, United States of America
80. Natalia Seco Garcia, Universidad Santiago de Compostela, Spain
81. Nazeela Elmi, End Gender Apartheid Campaign, Afghanistan
82. Nick Leddy, Legal Action Worldwide
83. Oluwatosin Adegun, Centre for Human Rights UP, Nigeria
84. Parisa Zangeneh, Ireland
85. Rachel Walters, Human Rights Defenders Network, Sierra Leone
86. Rafael Braga da Silva, Brazil
87. Rebecca Shoot, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions, United States of America
88. Sara Ciucci, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
89. Sarah Kasande, Uganda
90. Sarah Zarmsky, Queen’s University Belfast, School of law, Northern Ireland
91. Susana SaCouto, War Crimes Research Office, American University Washington College of Law, United States of America
92. Taylor Dalton, Santa Clara University School of Law, United States of America
93. Tomás Kevin Manguel, Universidad Buenos Aires, Argentina
94. Vanesa Sulimani, Canada
95. William Pons, Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Germany
