DORNA has joined Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, the International Commission of Jurists and 38 other organisations in a joint statement by the Coalition for a Crimes against Humanity Convention (C-CAH), issued for the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee debate on the future treaty.
The statement asks States to open the negotiations to civil society, including victims and survivors of crimes against humanity. Iranians must be among them. No international court has jurisdiction today over the 1988 prison massacre, the killings of November 2019 or the January 2026 crackdown. Once in force, this convention would require every State party to prosecute or extradite perpetrators found on its territory, wherever the crimes were committed. Those who negotiate it should hear Iran's victims and survivors.
The joint statement
Coalition for a Crimes against Humanity Convention (C-CAH) · 12 October 2026
States must enable effective and inclusive civil society participation in the negotiations on a convention on crimes against humanity
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 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 which 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.
Endorsed by
The statement is endorsed by 43 organisations: Adifevea World, Africa Legal Aid (AFLA), AIDL International Foundation, Alliance Internationale pour la défense des Droits et des Libertés (AIDL), Amnesty International, Asia Justice Coalition, Avaaz, Center for Ah Nyar Studies, Center for Human Rights Advocacy, Center for Justice and Accountability, Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Center for Peace and Justice (BRAC University), Center for Truth and Justice, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), DORNA, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Every Casualty Counts, Feminist Majority Foundation, FIBGAR (Baltasar Garzón International Foundation), Fortify Rights, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Global Justice Center, Human Rights Watch, INMAA for Development, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International Human Rights Clinic (School of Law, Boston University), Jubilee Campaign, Lawyers for Human Rights, MADRE, Permanent Peace Movement, Prevention of Crimes against Humanity Project (Colombia Law School), Protections Lens, PSCORE, Route Justice, SAF-TESO, Save the Children International, Syrian Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC), Syrian Network for Human Rights, The National Forum for Human Rights (NFHR), UpRights, US International Council on Disabilities, Validity Foundation. It is also endorsed by 52 individual experts, for 95 signatories in all. The full list of individual signatories is in the attached statement (PDF).