January 2026
- Feb 16
- 2 min read
AJC PARTICIPATION IN THE CAH PREPARATORY COMMITTEE SESSION
From 19 – 30 January, Asia Justice Coalition Executive Director Dr Priya Pillai attended the first session of the Preparatory Committee of the Crimes Against Humanity Convention at the UN Headquarters in New York. AJC collaborated with its members, fellow civil society partners, academics, and experts and undertook various advocacy initiatives with UN Member States. The Committee adopted the recommendation of the coordinator, Ms. Keke Motsepe (South Africa) by consensus concerning the participation of stakeholders other than those in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
SIDE EVENT ON FACILITATING ENFORCEMENT OF THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
On 27 January, Asia Justice Coalition, International Commission of Jurists, Global Justice Center, Atlantic Council, Washington University Law School, Columbia Law School co-hosted a side event with the Permanent Mission of Mexico and Timor Leste to the UN on ‘Facilitating Enforcement of the Crimes Against Humanity Convention’. The panel included Dr Priya Pillai, Kate Vigneswaran, Sebastiaan Verelst, Mikiko Otani, and Prof. Leila Sadat.
SIDE EVENT ON ADVANCING THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TREATY
On 26 January, Dr Priya Pillai participated in an expert panel discussion on 'Advancing the Crimes Against Humanity Treaty: Expert Perspectives and Reflections' co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Mexico, The Gambia, The Philippines, and Switzerland to the UN. The other panellists were: event panel comprised of Prof. Leila Sadat, Prof. Olympia Bekou, Dr Patricia Sellers, Christopher Lentz and Natalie L. Reid.
CSO DECLARATION ON ADVANCING GENDER JUSTICE IN THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY CONVENTION
On 19 January, Asia Justice Coalition joined 200+ organisations to urge UN Member States to adopt a gender-competent and intersectional negotiation process and Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, which is shaped by victims’ multidimensional experiences. The declaration calls for the recognition of all gender-based harms that meet the crimes-against-humanity threshold by codifying reproductive violence, gender apartheid, and slave trade and centering victims and survivors in the convention.
JOINT CSO DECLARATION ON THE CAH CONVENTION
On 14 January, ahead of the first Preparatory Committee session of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, the Asia Justice Coalition joined fellow civil society partners and organisations from across the world to called for full, meaningful, and safe participation of civil society in the preparation and negotiation of the Crimes Against Humanity Convention.
