Human Rights at Home Blog

UN Expert Warns of Interference in Legal and Judicial System in the United States

The Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite, on June 4, 2025, expressed alarm at the targeting of judges, lawyers and law firms in an apparent organized effort to interfere in the independence of the U.S. legal and judicial system.

The Special Rapporteur stated that targeting legal professionals for performing their role in the justice system threatens the integrity and fairness of the legal proceedings in the U.S. Since President Trump’s election, executive officials have made public statements characterizing legal professionals as adversaries, and the President has issued executive orders targeting specific law firms. The Special Rapporteur welcomed recent judicial decisions striking down these orders but is deeply concerned about continued efforts by the Executive to intimidate lawyers and judges.

The Special Rapporteur further calls on the U.S. to adhere to these standards and stop all efforts to interfere in the work of lawyers, law firms and judges, and has been in touch with the U.S. government about her concerns.

The full press release may be viewed here.

New Essay Series: Local Futures: Human Rights Cities

Across North America, as the failure or refusal of states to deliver on human rights has become more evident, grassroots organizers are working with or through local cities and municipalities to reclaim their rights and build a new future grounded in dignity, justice, and democratic participation. The essay series “Local Futures: Human Rights Cities” spotlights the growing Human Rights Cities movement, where cities are becoming frontline laboratories for human rights innovation, as communities leverage international norms to confront inequality and injustice. 

The most recent essay, “A national human rights institution for the United States: Can cities lead the way?” offers ideas for how local communities can organize to reinforce human rights protections in the face of anti-democratic opposition from Washington. Two additional essays in the series have been published to date, with more being published each week.

The full essay series can be viewed here. Essays are available in English, Spanish, and French.

This series, co-sponsored by the Young Initiative at Occidental College, the University of Pittsburgh Global Studies Center, and the Global College at the University of Winnipeg,​ was created in partnership with the Human Rights Cities Alliance (HRCA), a growing network of human rights advocates and scholar-practitioners translating international human rights standards into local policy and action.

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UN Experts Alarmed at Illegal Deportations from the United States to El Salvador

On April 30, 2025, UN human rights experts expressed deep concern at apparently unlawful deportations of over 250 Venezuelan and Salvadorian men from the U.S. to El Salvador. The experts stated that the seeming misapplication of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 denies due process contrary to international human rights law, resulting in arbitrary deportations based on inadequate summary decisions. Furthermore, the international law duty of non-refoulement prohibits deporting any person to a place where there is a substantial risk of arbitrary deprivation of life, torture and/or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, unfair trial or other irreparable harm. This generates further concerns about El Salvador’s prisons, where there have been reports of deaths, torture, and inhumane conditions.

“We call on the Salvadoran Government to allow independent monitoring bodies immediate and unfettered access to prisons holding the deportees,” the experts said. They also expressed alarm at the unclear legal basis for the detention of the deportees in El Salvador and the lack of effective remedies, and noted that those imprisoned in El Salvador have been denied the right to communicate with and be visited by their families. The US and El Salvador have also refused to return individuals found by US courts to have been illegally deported. “We call on both Governments to cooperate to return them to the US, as well as anyone else who was unlawfully deported and wishes to go back,” the experts said. The experts further criticized U.S. abuse of the Alien Enemies Act outside of its legal criteria as well as its abuse of “terrorist” organization designations. “We strongly urge the US Government to stop using the Alien Enemies Act or any other law to summarily deport people,” the experts said. “Deportations must stop until these international legal guarantees are respected.”

The full press release by the UN Experts may be read here.

When the Floodwaters Rise: Environmental Racism and the Human Right to Sanitation in Cahokia Heights

By Korede Lawal, 3L at Saint Louis University School of Law

In Cahokia Heights, Illinois, the residents fear the rain, as it brings raw sewage that floods their homes and endangers their health. This predominantly Black community in St. Clair County has endured this reality for decades. After it rains, the smell of sewage fills the air, soggy toilet paper and slicks of human waste cling to the grass in the neighborhoods, kids don’t play outside anymore and the gardens don’t grow.  Some residents have resorted to using boats to navigate the sewage-filled floodwaters. Despite the severity of this ongoing crisis, government officials have failed to take meaningful actions to address the flooding. This is more than a case of poor infrastructure; it is environmental racism and a human rights crisis.

The Legal Right to Sanitation and the Environment

Access to water and sanitation are recognized by the United Nations as fundamental human rights, essential to health, dignity and well-being. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 64/292, affirming the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. This resolution, supported by 122 countries, changed the conversation about water and sanitation for policy makers and activist around the world. Yet, the United States abstained from the UN vote and has consistently failed to fully support this principle. Despite water and sanitation being necessary for human survival and health, the U.S.  has taken the position that water is not a human right.  Although the U.S. has not ratified all international treaties supporting the right to water and sanitation, this does not release it of its moral obligations to uphold the basic standards of dignity.

Environmental racism describes the disproportionate exposure of marginalized communities to environmental hazards such as toxic waste facilitates, garbage dumps, and foul odors that lower the quality of life. The flooding in Cahokia Heights is a public health crisis that highlights the devastating and inhumane conditions faced by marginalized communities, and how resident are stripped of their basic sense of safety and dignity in their own homes.

Cahokia Heights: A Case Study of Systemic Neglect

The crisis in Cahokia Heights did not emerge overnight, it is the result of decades of neglect and discrimination. Much of the city’s sewage infrastructure dates back to World War II, and the pump stations that are supposed to direct waste away are not functional. The failure to maintain these systems has led to hundreds of illegal sanitary sewer overflow discharges, contaminating homes and the environment.  According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, raw sewage discharges contain bacteria, viruses, and other harmful organisms that pose serious health hazards.

In 2022, a study conducted by professors at Washington University and the University of Colorado found that more than 40% of the 42 adults in a sample of Cahokia Heights residents had the same stomach infection from the bacterial Helicobacter pylori, and nearly half of them had intestinal inflammation.  Residents have filed repeated complaints over the years. In 2024, The Illinois Attorney General’s Office in collaboration with the U.S Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency, filed a lawsuit against the city, citing over 300 instances since 2019 where sanitary sewage was discharged into local waterways, violating the Clean Water Act.

In interviews, residents speak of exhaustion and a deep sense of abandonment. “We’ll be dead before this is resolved, and I am already so exhausted by all this,” said Ms. Lyles, a longtime resident, “[c]lean water is a basic necessity, and when you are paying bills for your sewage treatment, and still get other people’s crap floating into your house every month making you sick, you really question ‘What is really going on in the United States of America.’” Another resident who moved to Cahokia Heights in the 1960s remembered a different time, “[i]f all those white people were still here, this wouldn’t happen ,” she said. She is right. In 2023, a complaint filed against St. Clair County revealed that the County made a deliberate and discriminatory choice to spend 98% of its ARPS funds on projects in predominantly white communities that were less urgent and important, including fixing flooding issues in an animal shelter. The disparity is not coincidental, it is systemic.  

Path to Accountability

The situation in Cahokia Heights raises some fundamental questions. Who gets to live with dignity in America? When should the government be held accountable for its failure to take meaningful actions against this form of systemic neglect? The answer should be simple. Everyone deserves dignity, regardless of race, zip code or socioeconomic status.

Under the Illinois Constitution, “Each person has the right to a healthful environment.”  Yet the residents of Cahokia Heights have not been afforded this right.  The right to water and sanitation is not merely an administrative or political issue, it is a human rights and racial justice issue, one that demands proper recognition and immediate enforcement. The residents of Cahokia Heights have endured this cycle of neglect for too long, and it is time they are granted the basic human right to accessible sanitation and adequate infrastructure.

May-June 2025 Deadlines: Calls for Inputs by Human Rights Mechanisms

The following calls for inputs have been issued by UN Human Rights Mechanisms with deadlines in May-June 2025 and law professors whose practice, research, and/or scholarship touches on these topics may be interested in submission:

Multiple Mechanisms – Call for inputs for the study of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on the role of good governance in the promotion and protection of human rights (HRC resolution 57/5). Deadline May 5, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights – Call for inputs to inform the Special Rapporteur’s thematic report on the human rights impacts of administrative measures to counter terrorism and (violent) extremism, including but not limited to restrictions of particular rights, border-related measures, security detention, proscription of terrorist organizations, regulation of public space, and mandatory participation in counter-extremism measures. Deadline May 9, 2025. Read more.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Call for inputs on the topics to be discussed during the fifth session of the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law on the theme “Democracy and climate change: focusing on solutions.” Deadline May 16, 2025. Read more.

Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child - Call for submissions for the preparation of the first session of the open-ended intergovernmental Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Deadline May 18, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing – Call for inputs to inform the forthcoming report on land governance and land management and the right to adequate housing in both rural and urban areas. Deadline May 25, 2025. Read more.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Call for inputs on on challenges and risks with regard to discrimination and unequal enjoyment of the right to privacy associated with the collection and processing of data. Deadline May 28, 2025. Read more.

Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development – Call for inputs to inform EMRTD study, “Climate Finance: Vulnerability and Responsibility," complimenting the study on Climate Justice and Just Transition, focusing on carbon markets and financing climate transition following COP29. Deadline May 30, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the right to health – Call for inputs on the situation of health and care workers and their ability to enjoy and support the realization of the right to health and related human rights. In addition, on the human rights of health and care workers and their role as key protectors and defenders of the right to health and related human rights, and thus as human rights defenders. Deadline May 30, 2025. Read more.

Independent Expert on international solidarity – Call for inputs on the role of corporations and their scope of action in promoting and implementing international solidarity. Deadline June 10, 2025. Read more.

Committee on the Rights of the Child – Call for inputs on draft of general comment No. 27 on children’s right to access to justice and to an effective remedy. Deadline June 30, 2025. Read more.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Call for inputs on the implementation of a human rights-based approach into the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in line with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, consistent with the considerations set out in section C of the Framework and taking into consideration the outcomes of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. Deadline June 30, 2025. Read more.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Call for inputs ont he best practices of States, local governments and other relevant stakeholders in overcoming the various challenges that local governments face in promoting and protecting human rights. Deadline June 30, 2025. Read more.

This information was compiled from https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input-listing.

Against Suspension of the United States Refugee Admission Program

By Ale Uchitelle, 2L at Saint Louis University School of Law

The Refugee Act of 1980 amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a pathway for resettlement in the United States for refugees fleeing their home country. Under the Act, an immigrant who has experienced past persecution or has a well-founded fear of past persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion is a refugee and thus may be considered for refugee status. Since the passage of the Refugee Act, more than three million refugees have resettled in the United States.

The Refugee Act also established the United States Refugee Admission Program (USRAP), a coalition of various U.S. government and resettlement agencies which offer a wide spectrum of resettlement assistance to refugees. To apply for refugee admission to the United States, individuals must meet the definition of refugee and fall within one of four priority categories: individual refugees referred to USRAP by UNHCR, a designated NGO, or U.S. embassy or government agency; groups of special humanitarian concern to the U.S. pursuant to State Department designations; refugees with immediate family members who were recently resettled as refugees in the United States; and privately sponsored refugees. Applications are subject to in-depth screened by Resettlement Support Centers around the world and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, undergoing medical screenings, interviews, and the most rigorous security screenings of any population admitted to the United States. After admission to the United States, USRAP supports refugees with cultural orientation, assistance with employment, cash assistance, and numerous other programs. Refugees are required to apply for lawful permanent resident status one year after entry and become eligible to apply for citizenship five years from the day they entered the country.

On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration issued Executive Order 14163, which indefinitely suspended the USRAP beginning on January 27, after which refugees were no longer settled into the United States and no decisions on refugee applications will be made. Approximately 10,000 refugees whose refugee applications had been approved after often years-long waiting periods had their flights to the United States cancelled.

The suspension of USRAP is one of many symptoms of the frightening rise of xenophobia in the United States and promises disastrous implications for our humanitarian policy and foreign relations. USRAP’s suspension comes at the heels of the thousands of false statements made by President Trump attributing higher rates of crime, theft of public benefits, voter fraud, and the “taking” of jobs from American citizens, to immigration. This rhetoric has always been intended to foment racism and xenophobia and manufacture consent for the suspension of USRAP and President Trump’s numerous other anti-immigration policies.

Moreover, refugee resettlement is needed now more than ever. As of mid-2024, there are 122.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. The top countries of origin for refugees resettled in the United States are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela, all countries which the United States has had a significant hand in destabilizing and creating conditions that force its residents to flee. In the 1960s, the CIA undertook an almost 7-year covert mission in the Congo to eliminate and replace Patrice Lumumba, the new leftist Congolese Prime Minister, with a new leader that would better align with Western interests. The US-backed leader that was subsequently installed is known for the corruption that marred his 26-year regime. In Afghanistan, a 20-year long military intervention marked by significant human rights abuses and civilian casualties failed to accomplish its goal of eradicating the Taliban. In Syria and Venezuela, US economic sanctions cripple the national economy, prevent civilians from accessing basic medical care, essential goods, and aid, and frequently fail to achieve their intended goals. Our acceptance of refugees from these countries is necessary to improve our foreign relations with these countries; however, more importantly, it is our moral imperative to give innocent civilians the opportunity to escape the disastrous consequences of United States intervention in their home countries.

The United States owes a moral obligation to the international community to mitigate the harm and human rights abuses inflicted on civilians that directly resulted from efforts to bend foreign leaders to the will of Western imperialism. While refugee resettlement is the tip of the iceberg, it is the first step.

 

April 2025 Deadlines: Calls for Inputs by Human Rights Mechanisms

The following calls for inputs have been issued by UN Human Rights Mechanisms with deadlines in April 2025 and law professors whose practice, research, and/or scholarship touches on these topics may be interested in submission:

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Call for inputs to inform the 2025 report of the Secretary-General on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Deadline Apr. 15, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues – Call for inputs to inform the report of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues on the contribution of the UN to the full realization of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Deadline Apr. 15, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to a Healthy Environment – Call for inputs to inform the thematic report of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment regarding environmental impact assessments (EIA) and strategic impact assessments (SEA) as a human rights obligation. Deadline Apr. 15, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls - Call for inputs to inform the thematic report of the Special Rapporteur to the UNGA 80^th Session on surrogacy and violence against women and girls. Deadline Apr. 18, 2025. Read more.

Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – Call for inputs to collect information to inform the preparation of the comprehensive study of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophombia and related intolerance globally, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 51/32. Deadline Apr. 20, 2025. Read more.

Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity – Call for inputs to inform the report on the human right to education and the protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Deadline Apr. 21, 2024. Read more.

Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement – Call for input to inform the preparation of the report on systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the criminal justice system. Deadline Apr. 25, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children – Call for input to inform their forthcoming report title “A child-centered response to sexual exploitation of children in street situations.” Deadline Apr. 25, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons - Call for Inputs for thematic report on the (re)integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urban settings. Deadline Apr. 28, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Call for inputs to inform the report on care and support for children with disabilities within the family environment and its gendered dimensions. Deadline Apr. 30, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on Climate Change – Call for inputs to inform the thematic report, “Human Rights in the life cycle of Renewable Energy and Critical Minerals,” on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. Deadline Apr. 30, 2025. Read more.

Working Group on Business and Human Rights – Call for inputs to inform the report on “Labour Migration, Business and Human Rights” regarding the protection of transnational migrant workers. Deadline Apr. 30, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders - Call for input to inform the report on human rights defenders working on climate change and a just transition. Deadline Apr. 30, 2025. Read more.

This information was compiled from https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input-listing.

One Million Views for the Human Rights at Home Blog!

The Human Rights at Home Lawprofs Blog reached one million views yesterday!  This is a significant milestone for the blog, which was established in February 2014 (more than 11 years ago!) by Professors Martha F. Davis and Margaret Drew.   In their first blog post, on February 26, 2024,  they harkened back to the work of predecessors, especially those who participated in the writing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then, this blog has served an important role in continuing to build a human rights framework in the U.S. for academics, law students, and others.

Thank you to Professors Davis and Drew for their vision for this blog and all their hard work bringing us together and promoting domestic human rights. And thank you to all of you, who read, write, and engage in important human rights conversations here on the blog!

Abortion Bans: The Devastating Impact on Fundamental Rights

By Clare Atkinson, legal intern & Natalie Kemper, legal intern & Tamar Ezer, Associate Director, Human Rights Clinic, University of Miami School of Law

Reproductive rights in the United States (U.S.) are no longer secure. With Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court for the first time eliminated a constitutional right. Nationally, sixteen states have a total or near-total ban on abortion care.

Florida, where we live, is one of these states. Florida outlaws abortion after six weeks from the first day of the last menstrual cycle, when many women do not even know they are pregnant. At that point, it is a felony for doctors to provide an abortion. Exceptions are limited and generally inaccessible.

Florida’s abortion ban remains in place despite 57% of Florida voters casting a ballot for a constitutional amendment to reinstate access to abortion prior to viability or to protect a woman’s health. This was a narrow miss, as an amendment requires 60% of the vote to pass, and particularly impressive given the confusing and biased framing of the amendment on the ballot. The ballot indicated that the amendment’s financial impact was “indeterminate” but “may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time” and speculated on the effect of invalidating laws “requiring parental consent,” although the amendment did not call for this. Despite an initial successful court challenge, due to time constraints, there was no opportunity to challenge the misleading ballot statement a second time.

Impact on Women

Restricting access to essential reproductive healthcare has devastating consequences for women and violates fundamental rights under international law. This includes the rights to health, life, privacy, equality and non-discrimination, as well as to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Abortion bans deny access to critical abortion services, broadly impacting reproductive care. Doctors are limited in how they can handle pregnancy-related emergencies, miscarriages, and fatal birth defects. Instead of getting the care they need, women have endured needless pain, bled out, experienced stillbirths, and even had to watch their baby die in front of them. The UN Committee against Torture has thus recognized that the denial of critical abortion care is a form of torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Moreover, abortion bans have a disproportionate impact by race and ethnicity, income, and immigration status, deepening divides based on access to resources and violating the human right to equality.

 Exodus of Medical Professionals

Abortion bans further lead to an overall decrease in healthcare. They create a challenging environment for medical professionals, prompting them to practice elsewhere. Indeed, a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) found a 6.7% decrease in applicants to OB-GYN residency programs, and a 4.2% decrease in applications overall, in states with abortion bans. In Georgia, which implemented its six-week abortion ban in 2022, OB-GYNs, chose to leave the state due to the difficult legal landscape.

Florida’s abortion ban thus stands to exacerbate the existing shortage of OB-GYNs and create additional reproductive care “deserts,”  as interviews by our Human Rights Clinic confirmed. A reproductive care doctor explained, “evidence-based practices, and acting in the best interest of the patient, go to the core of the practice of medicine. Why would students want to train and eventually practice in a state where these core principles are illegal? Bans are negatively impacting all types of healthcare in Florida—not just abortion care.”  A medical student echoed the concern for practicing in Florida: “The vague and arbitrary nature of Florida’s law threatens the lives of patients and creates a frustratingly impossible situation for doctors, as situations can quickly turn life-threatening when access to care is delayed.”

Call to Action

Abortion bans decrease the quality of reproductive care, as well as access to healthcare more generally, disproportionately impacting women who are already marginalized and disadvantaged. Moreover, state bans have not led to a decrease in abortions in the U.S.

The pain, suffering, and undercutting of healthcare caused by abortion bans are needless and preventable. From Florida to Texas, extreme restrictions are denying individuals the ability to make personal medical decisions, endangering their health, and violating their fundamental rights. This is not freedom. This is not healthcare. This is government overreach at its worst. We call on Congress to protect access to critical abortion care and the fundamental rights of all women in this country.

Events 2/19 and 2/14: UPR Info Webinars

On Wednesday February 19, 2025 (in English) and Monday February 24, 2025 (in Spanish), UPR Info will host a webinar to provide civil society representatives with key information and guidance on submitting "Other Stakeholders Reports" to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). These webinars will be useful for those drafting shadow reports ahead of the April 7^th deadline for the U.S. review in November 2025. 

This online session is aimed to share technical information, online tools, and good practices in the drafting and dissemination process of UPR reports. This webinar is open to all the stakeholders, in particular to human rights defenders, CSOs and national human rights institutions from the States under Review during the 50th UPR Working Group (Andorra, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Honduras, Jamaica, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Panama, United States of America).

The Webinar will be hosted on the following dates:

English Webinar
Date: Wednesday, February 19
Time: 17:00CET
Register here

Spanish Webinar
Date: Monday, February 24
Time: 16:00 CET
Register here

Event 2/19: Online program with the UN Office of the Victims' Rights Advocates

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 12:00 pm ET, the ABA International Human Rights Committee will host a Zoom presentation from the United Nations Office of the Victims' Rights Advocate (OVRA). The UN OVRA works to ensure that the rights and dignity of victims/survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel are at the forefront of the UN's prevention and response efforts.

The presentation will be titled “Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: The Work of the Office of the Victims' Rights Advocate,” and will feature UN Victims’ Rights Advocate Najla Nassif Palma as speaker.

The Zoom for the presentation can be accessed here.

U.S. Human Rights Experts, Current and Former Members of UN Bodies Issue Statement on “The Trump Administration’s Attacks on International Law and Institutions”

On February 10, 2025, sixteen current and former U.S. members of UN human rights bodies issued a statement on “The Trump Administration’s Attacks on International Law and Institutions.” This statement, signed by American scholars who have served on UN human rights bodies for decades, condemns the current Presidential Administration’s assault on U.S. civil rights commitments and terror struck among immigrant communities, as well as its attacks on public access to information and First Amendment rights. The statement s urges all lawmakers, Republican and Democratic, to counter the administration’s betrayal of human rights values, and for state and local leaders to ensure that their residents have protection against the ongoing and threatened abuses of the administration.

The full statement may be read here.

Event 2/12: Mary Robinson to speak at FSU Law

On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 4:00 pm ET, Florida State University College of Law will host and livestream its D’Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights on “The Rule of Law in International Human Rights.” The talk will feature former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson as speaker.

This lecture will explore the recent diminishing civic participation, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression; share insights on what has contributed to this erosion of the rule of law; and propose solutions for restoring justice, accountability, and respect for human rights both nationally and globally. Drawing on her vast experience as a former head of state, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and advocate for climate justice, Robinson will discuss the vital role of leaders in strengthening governance systems that promote peace, sustainability, and human rights.

Please see here for more information, and RSVP for the event here.

Event 2/5: Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and International Law

On Wednesday February 5, 2025, from 9:00am-10:30am ET ASIL is holding an online event to engage with experts on the legal responses shaping the global effort to address sea level rise and its consequences. The program will feature panelists from the International Law Commission: Nilufer Oral, Patrícia Galvão Teles, Juan José Ruda Santolaria, and Bimal N. Patel.

The webinar will delve into the implications of sea level rise under international legal frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and examine how emerging jurisprudence addresses these issues. Discussions will highlight recent legal initiatives, such as the advisory opinion delivered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), as well as the ongoing advisory opinions in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR). These initiatives will underscore the differentiated impacts of climate change and the evolving role of international law in addressing territorial loss, population displacement, and economic repercussions.

More information and registration for this online event is available here.

Questioning The Morality of the “World’s Most Moral Army”

Preface by Prof. Margaret Drew:  More on the universal suffering of women and children during war. While an Israeli/Hamas ceasefire takes effect on Sunday, much damage has been done to women and children through not just physical assaults but through the dismissiveness and mockery of their suffering. Several conventions are implicated including the Convention Against Torture, CERD and CEDAW.  

By Yasmin Khan, Student in the Human Rights at Home Clinic at the University of Massachusetts

When speaking about his country’s military and its operations, Benjamin Netanyahu has continuously relied on one anecdote to refer to it: the most moral army in the world. But after witnessing an ongoing international conflict and genocide for over a year now, it is difficult to argue that morality exists among the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Force. Not only have thousands died as a result of the conflict (More than 43,000 people killed in Palestine and more than 3,000 people killed in Lebanon), but entire cities and homes have been destroyed and ransacked by members of the IDF.

Out of these atrocities, a loathsome trend among IDF soldiers has also developed; rifling through the belongings and clothing of women that used to live in the homes and photographing themselves either wearing the clothes or using them in suggestive ways. Videos on social media show soldiers displaying lingerie and inappropriately displaying it on themselves or others have been circulating since the conflict began. The content is being created and published by the soldiers themselves, showing they have no remorse over their actions in an attempt to continuously dehumanize Palestinians. It is unclear if military officials have investigated or if any of the soldiers have even been disciplined for their actions.

The ongoing conflict is not only one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, but it has also been continuously documented as it continues. The human rights violations committed by the IDF and the humiliation of the Palestinian people have shown morality does not exist within the Israeli military and government.

While I applaud the success of finally reaching an agreement between the parties involved in the conflict, I cannot help but feel nervous and unsure about the future. I am worried that a lot of attention will no longer be on the Palestinian people after this agreement which will allow Israel to continue committing the human rights abuses and ongoing genocide. My hope is that all terms of the ceasefire agreement are upheld and the attention to the crisis in Palestine is not forgotten afterwards.

 

January-February 2025 Deadlines: Calls for Inputs by Human Rights Mechanisms

The following calls for inputs have been issued by UN Human Rights Mechanisms with deadlines in January-February 2024 and law professors whose practice, research, and/or scholarship touches on these topics may be interested in submission:

Special Rapporteur on the right to food - Call for inputs to inform a thematic report to the Human Rights Council on the implementation of a rights-based approach to food on the national and global scales. Deadline January 2, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on the right to health – Call for inputs to inform a thematic report health and care workers as key protectors of the right to health. Deadline January 3, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression – Call for inputs informing a forthcoming report on “Freedom of Expression and Elections in the Digital Age,” relating to digital technology’s effects on access to information and disinformation. Deadline January 16, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls – Call for inputs to inform an addendum to clarify the terms and approaches to the concept of consent and the use of consent in international human rights law and national legislation. Deadline January 30, 2025. Read more.

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Call for inputs to inform the preparation of a study on Indigenous Peoples right to data, including data collection and disaggregation. Deadline January 31, 2025. Read more.

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Call for inputs to inform a report on the right of Indigenous Peoples to their traditional economies. Deadline January 31, 2025. Read more.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Call for inputs to inform an update to the technical guidance on the application of a human rights-based approach to the elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity. Deadline February 13, 2025. Read more.

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Call for written submissions for a general discussion on the rights of persons with disabilities to political and public life to political and public life pursuant to article 29 of the Convention. Deadline February 15, 2025. Read more.

Multiple Mechanisms – Call for inputs to inform the drafting of the EMRTD thematic study on “Climate Justice, Sustainability, and the Right to Development.” Deadline February 20, 2025. Read more.

Special Rapporteur on climate change – Call for inputs to inform a thematic report on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change and a just transition away from fossil fuels. Deadline February 28, 2025. Read more.

This information was compiled from https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input-listing.

Event 12/10: Gender Justice and the United States: An Examination of Past and Future

On December 10, 2025, from 11:30am-12:30pm ET, the new American Society of Int’l Law (ASIL) signature topic initiative on Advancing Gender Justice in International Law is hosting an event in commemoration of Human Rights Day and the culmination of the 16 Days Campaign to End Gender-Based Violence. Featured speakers include Professor Catherine Powell and Professor Suzanne Goldberg, both of whom have important connections to the BHRH Network (Catherine is a co-founder of the network!).

Registration for this event is free and open to the public. Register at https://www.asil.org/event/gender-justice-and-united-states-examination-past-and-future.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7270087658586943489

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asilorg.bsky.social/post/3lcifrxo5r22c

Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing: Call for Inputs on the right to adequate housing for people on the move

The Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, has also decided to dedicate his next thematic report to the Human Rights Council to the topic: right to adequate housing in the context of human mobility. This includes a focus on the rights and situations of all individuals who have crossed an international border, including migrant workers, refugees, asylum seekers, environmental migrants, smuggled migrants, victims of human trafficking, and international students; as well as their overall impact on the housing system including on affordability and accessibility.

In this regard, the Special Rapporteur has called for written contributions to one or more of the following questions:

• Please flag important or emblematic regional and national standards and policies for the housing of migrants, including those related to accommodation, reception, shelter, etc. (1 page max)
• Are there any emblematic challenges to the enjoyment of adequate housing by one or more of the above-mentioned groups of migrants and refugees or other vulnerable groups among them (e.g., women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, minorities, LGBTQIA+, etc.) that you would like to highlight? These challenges include security of tenure, affordability, availability, accessibility, habitability, location and cultural adequacy. Do migrants and refugees experience discrimination or live in segregated areas? Please kindly explain the issue and provide any relevant background information, including related legal, policy or administrative barriers experienced. (1 page max)
• Are there any successful practices or models that have been implemented to improve housing access and/or conditions for these groups of migrants and refugees? Please provide detailed information, including any relevant legislative, policy, administrative or financial support solutions that made them possible. (1 page max)
• In what ways does human mobility influence the access/availability of housing, access to services, community safety perception, and overall quality of life for local residents? Are migrants and refugees being scapegoated for existing housing crises, despite these crises being rooted in other dynamics? Has human mobility posed challenges to the right to adequate housing and associated services for local residents, or alternatively brought unexpected benefits? Kindly explain and provide relevant factual, policy or other relevant information. (1 page max)

This report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in March 2025. If you wish to send any inputs, please do so by November 8, 2024, by sending an email to [email protected] and [email protected] copying [email protected].

Event 11/20: OHCHR Webinar on human rights of people on the move

The OHCHR and Global Strategic Litigation Council for Refugee Rights are organizing two webinars discussing how to effectively utilize U.N. Treaty Bodies to advance human rights of people on the move. These webinars with explore litigation opportunities within the U.N. human rights treaty bodies, including an overview of how to effectively use their individual communication procedures, as well as a showcase of key jurisprudence on non-refoulment and other human rights protections against return. If interested, please register by November 6, 2024.

Session for U.S., Latin America, and Europe will be hosted on November 20, 2024, at 10:30 EST, and can be registered for here.