WashU Law James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law Leila Sadat recently participated in a series of meetings in New York City for the United Nations Sixth Committee on Crimes Against Humanity, as well as chairing International Law Weekend (ILW) 2025, which several WashULaw students attended, and speaking at several side events hosted by governments.
This year’s Crimes Against Humanity team, led by Erin Layne, includes students Rachael Behling, Faryal Ashraf, Xochi Hopwood, Mood Al-Kurdi, Susan Wu, Juliette Reyes, Claire Barrington, and Aleyna Buyukaksakal. The group’s participation was supported by the Harris Institute, WashU Law, and the International Law Association, which selected Juliette Reyes and Claire Barrington as Student Ambassadors for ILW. Students attending the UN meetings were accredited by the American Society of International Law.
The Crimes Against Humanity Initiative, launched in 2008 by Professor Sadat, was created to study the need for a comprehensive convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, analyze its essential elements, and draft a proposed treaty. The Initiative was generously supported by a leadership grant from Steven Cash Nickerson, as well as funding from Humanity United and the United States Institute of Peace. In 2024, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 79/122 setting out a pathway to elaborate the treaty; formal negotiations will open in January 2026.
