‘THE NEED FOR CREATIVE LEGAL APPROACHES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ATROCITY CRIMES IN ASIA' PANEL
On 3 October, the Asia Justice Coalition, in partnership with Watson Farley & Williams, hosted a panel discussion in Bangkok, Thailand, titled “The Need for Creative Legal Approaches to Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Asia.” The panel explored various accountability tools and their application in addressing atrocity crimes across Asia. Featured speakers included AJC members Zar Li Aye (ICJ) and Patrick Phongsathorn (Fortify Rights), alongside Jennifer Keene-McCann (AJC) and Aaron Murphy (WFW).
DIPLOMATIC BRIEFING ON THE DRAFT ARTICLES ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
On 3 October, the Asia Justice Coalition, in collaboration with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Amnesty International, and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, organized a diplomatic briefing on the International Law Commission's Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity hosted in partnership with the Embassy of Mexico in Thailand (Bangkok), the
briefing offered UN Member State representatives an overview of the Draft Articles and insights into the ongoing discussions within the UNGA Sixth Committee.
PODCAST ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TREATY BY AJC DIRECTOR
On 4 October, Dr. Priya Pillai, Director of the Asia Justice Coalition, featured on the "Asymmetrical Haircuts" international law podcast alongside Professor Leila Sadat in an episode titled "The Road to a New Crimes Against Humanity (CAH) Treaty." In this discussion, Dr. Pillai emphasized the significance of establishing a multilateral CAH treaty, highlighting aspects such as state responsibility and the obligation to prevent atrocities, the ongoing processes within the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee, the perspectives of Asian states, and the pivotal role of civil society in these efforts.
AJC PUBLISHED A PRIMER ON SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS AS INTERNATIONAL CRIMES
On 17 October, the AJC secretariat published a primer on serious environmental harms as international crimes. This primer serves as a brief but concise explainer: 1) the significance and relevance of this issue for Asia; 2) the existing framework o international criminal law for regulating environmental harms, including historical prosecutions; 3) the concept and proposed crime of ecocide; and 4) whether climate change could be considered through the lens of international criminal law. For more detailed information, check our primers here.
LECTURE ON UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION AND ASIA BY AJC LEGAL ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
On 9 October, Aakash Chandran, Legal Advocacy and Communications Manager at the Asia Justice Coalition delivered a lecture titled "Universal Jurisdiction: A Key Tool in Enforcing International Justice" at the Centre for the Study of United Nations, Jindal Global Law School, India. Drawing from AJC's universal jurisdiction convenings and Asian jurisdictional briefs, Aakash emphasized the significance and applicability of universal jurisdiction in international law, with a particular focus on its relevance in the Asian context.
‘RE-CENTERING HUMANITY: INTERSECTIONAL STRATEGIES STRENGTHENING MULTILATERALISM AND INTERNATIONAL LAW’
On 24 October, the Asia Justice Coalition, Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice, and the Global Survivors Fund held a discussion titled "(Re-)Centering Humanity: Intersectional Strategies Strengthening Multilateralism and International Law" at the Church Center in New York. The event explored intersectional strategies for reinforcing multilateralism and upholding international law. Dr. Priya Pillai highlighted the AJC’s Women Leaders in International Justice and Accountability (WIJA) project and ongoing efforts toward advancing the Crimes Against Humanity Convention.
‘GENDER PARITY ON THE ICJ BENCH’ PRE-ILW WEBINAR
On 14 October, Dr. Priya Pillai, Director of the AJC, took part in a panel on “Gender Parity at the International Court of Justice” organized by the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA). In her remarks, Dr. Pillai emphasized the need for a thorough examination of the underlying causes that reinforce barriers to leadership roles within the legal field, particularly within international law, to foster a more democratic, diverse, and accessible environment for women. The full discussion is available here.
AJC INFOGRAPHIC ON ASIAN STATES’ POSITION ON CAH DRAFT ARTICLES
On 15 October, the Asia Justice Coalition released an infographic outlining the positions of various Asian states on the International Law Commission's Draft Articles on a Crimes Against Humanity Convention. This infographic draws from the discussions held at the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee sessions on October 9, 10, and 14.
AJC DIRECTOR EXPERT DIALOGUE DURING THE ROUNDTABLE ON GENDER PARITY AT THE ICJ
On 25 October, Dr. Priya Pillai joined an Expert Dialogue Roundtable titled “More Women, But Not Enough Women: Achieving Gender Parity for Judges at the International Court of Justice.” Co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Sweden and Liechtenstein to the United Nations, along with the International Bar Association, the event focused on the challenges and critical importance of reaching gender parity on the ICJ bench.
PANEL DISCUSSION ON UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION
On 29 October, AJC Director Dr. Priya Pillai spoke on a panel titled “Pursuing Justice for Mass Atrocities via Universal Jurisdiction” at Yale University, where she focused on the situation in Myanmar and the range of ongoing accountability efforts.
Earlier, on October 23, Dr. Pillai delivered a talk as a Yale World Fellow on “South Asia and International Law” highlighting the region’s unique perspectives and contributions to the field.
ROUNDTABLE ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY DRAFT ARTICLES
On 25 October, Dr. Priya Pillai participated in an American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) panel on Crimes Against Humanity. The panel reviewed the ongoing deliberations in the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee and examined proposals to expand the definition of this crime to include offenses such as slavery, gender apartheid, and forced marriage. The discussion emphasized the need for cross- regional support to advance the proposed treaty.
