Legal Action Worldwide

IBA War Crimes Committee Conference 2025
2025-04-05 12:00 - 13:30 (Europe/Rome) | The Hague, World Forum, The Hague, Netherlands
Law on the Frontlines: Documenting and Defending Humanity in Hostilities
In 2025, evidence is being gathered in real time from conflict zones. Documentors are living through war and taking extraordinary risks. Not everyone investigating falls into the classic police or prosecutor role. How can we learn from past mistakes? How can we safely preserve evidence in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed way that has the best chance of admission at trial?

Session / Workshop Chair(s):

Mikel Delagrange: Wayamo Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland

Speakers:

Ali Fowle: Independent Journalist, Edinburgh, Scotland
Leela Jadhav: Forensic Architecture, London, England
Nick Leddy: Legal Action Worldwide, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Johann Soufi: United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

Criminalization of LGBTIQ+: A crime against humanity?
2025-04-10 | Paris, France
Criminalization of LGBTIQ+: A crime against humanity?
While love is not a crime, the systematic persecution committed by states against LGBT+ people is likely to constitute a crime punishable under international law. The International Criminal Court (ICC) indeed recognised the existence of crimes based on gender and the ICC Prosecutor requested the issuance of arrest warrants for persecution suffered by LGBTQ+ individuals.
The conference therefore proposes to turn the question of the criminalisation of homosexuality on its head, by examining how to criminally prosecute state agents responsible for such persecution.
Which state agents can be prosecuted?
In a state that criminalises homosexuality, who would be criminally responsible for crimes against humanity against homosexuals? Can we hold those who voted for and signed the law criminally liable or only those who apply it?
Speaker: Nick Leddy, Head of Litigation at Legal Action Worldwide

The Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network
2025-05-13 - 2025-05-14 | Oslo, Norway, Oslo, Norway
The Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network
Norway and Japan, as the 2025 Co-Chairs of the WPS Focal Points Network, will host a Thematic Meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network, which will take place in Oslo, Norway, from May 13-14, 2025.
The Thematic Meeting will focus on increasing women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peacebuilding and peace processes.
Our Executive Director Antonia Mulvey will join the WPS Focal Points Network in Oslo to advance inclusive peacemaking.
We face a critical question: In a time of global pushback on human rights, how do we act now to secure justice and accountability for victims and survivors of international crimes and human rights violations, including conflict-related sexual violence?

Advancing Accountability for International Crimes in the Region
2025-05-13 - 2025-05-15
Wayamo’s International Justice Week in Pretoria: Advancing Accountability for International Crimes in the Region

The Wayamo Foundation will host a week of events dedicated to strengthening domestic and regional accountability mechanisms for international crimes in Pretoria, South Africa between 13–15 May 2025. The programme features an International Justice Workshop organised in partnership with the South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and a Judges Symposium. The gatherings will focus on providing forums for prosecutors, investigators and members of the judiciary to exchange ideas, build capacity, and chart practical strategies for justice.
From 13 to 15 May 2025, Wayamo and the NPA will host a three-day workshop entitled “Domestic and international accountability mechanisms for international crimes: new developments and opportunities” where regional and international legal experts, prosecutors, and investigators will tackle the evolving challenges and opportunities in the fight against impunity for international crimes.
Through a mix of lectures and interactive discussions, the event aims to foster peer exchange and enhance the capacity of legal practitioners in South Africa to address international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Participants will explore the domestic application of international criminal law, the critical role of linkage evidence and evidentiary standards for crimes against humanity. The workshop will also focus on gender-based crimes, open-source investigations (OSINT), and the authentication and admissibility of digital evidence. The workshop will end with a closer look at mechanisms beyond the International Criminal Court (ICC) and look specifically at recent universal jurisdiction trends.
Speakers include:

Akingbolahan Adeniran, former Attorney General of Ogun State (Nigeria), former investigator and trial lawyer at the International Criminal Court
Chris Gevers, Director, Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), Wits School of Law
Ben Gumpert, KC, Crown Court Judge and former barrister, former Senior Trial Lawyer at the International Criminal Court
Mark Kersten, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University Fraser Valley, Canada and Senior Consultant, Wayamo Foundation
Rosalind Sipos, Legal Officer at the UN International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM), Geneva
Kim Thuy Seelinger, Professor of Practice in Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis; former Senior Coordinator on Gender-based Crimes and Crimes Against Children at the ICC Office of the Prosecutor and Special Adviser on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict to the ICC Prosecutor
Stefano Trevisan, Legal Advisor at Legal Action Worldwide, Expert in Open-source information (OSINT)
Linda Bore, International Criminal Lawyer & Project Coordinator, Wayamo Foundation
Mikel Delagrange, Senior International Legal Advisor, Wayamo Foundation

Running parallel to the final day of the prosecutor’s workshop on May 15, Wayamo will also host a Judges Symposium for members of South Africa’s judiciary. This closed-door session will gather South African judges and international criminal law experts to examine the domestic application of international law, the relevance of open-source evidence, and the role of the judiciary in upholding accountability for atrocity crimes. The symposium’s goal is to foster frank, high-level dialogue around legal interpretation, admissibility of modern forms of evidence, and universal jurisdiction.
All activities are being organised within the framework of the “Strengthening justice and accountability for international crimes in Sudan” project, where the Wayamo Foundation provides training in international criminal law, international humanitarian law and human rights to civil society and legal actors both in Sudan and the East African region, aimed at building a coalition committed to addressing impunity through domestic, regional and international accountability mechanisms.

EHF 2025: Protecting Frontline Humanitarians: the case for strengthened duty of care, mental health support and survivor-centred accountability to local responders
2025-05-19 16:30 - 17:30 (Europe/London) | Brussels, Belgium, Brussels, Belgium
European Humanitarian Forum 2025
Protecting Frontline Humanitarians: the case for strengthened duty of care, mental health support and survivor-centred accountability to local responders
Local humanitarian responders face growing risks, caught between the urgency of aid delivery and increasing violations of International Humanitarian Law. Despite their essential role, they receive inadequate support, with duty of care provisions and mental health resources largely skewed in favour of international agencies. Addressing this requires systemic change—embedding Duty of Care, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), and survivor-centred accountability as fundamental pillars of humanitarian action.
This Humanitarian Talk will highlight these urgent issues and advocate for reforms to better protect and support local responders. Participants will shed light on the psychological toll of frontline work and the need for improved duty of care and mental health support. Testimonies from local responders in Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine will offer firsthand perspectives on challenges, inequities in protection, and barriers to accessing essential resources. A key focus will be Duty of Care, including access to mental health and psychosocial support, for frontline workers.
As attacks on humanitarian personnel reach record highs, the panellists will also explore how access to justice and accountability mechanisms could be strengthened to protect responders and address violations against them. It will examine how recent international commitments – such as UNSC Resolution 2730 on the protection of humanitarian personnel – can translate into concrete actions that provide more protection and care for those on the frontlines. Ultimately, this event aims to amplify local voices and push for meaningful reforms toward a more just, equitable, and survivor-centred humanitarian system.
Speakers

Antonia Mulvey: Executive Director, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW)
Sudhanshu S․ Singh: Founder & CEO, Humanitarian Aid International
Heidy Rombouts: Director General Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid
Olivier Vandecasteele: Director, Protect Humanitarians
Cátia Matos: MHPSS Technical Advisor, RCRC Movement MHPSS Hub
Liudmyla (Mila) Leonova: Director Alliance of Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations
Imad Abuhasira: Former Humanitarian Worker
Eva Tamber: Senior Consultant, Protect Humanitarians

PoC Week: Humanitarians under attack: contemporary challenges faced by frontline workers
2025-05-23 13:15 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | New York, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the U, New York, United States
Side Event to Protection of Civilians (PoC) Week
Humanitarians under attack: contemporary challenges faced by frontline workers
Where: New York, UNHQ (CR8)
When: Friday 23 May 2025, 13:15-14:30
International humanitarian law is the foundation for alleviating human suffering in conflict. It provides a legal framework for the protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel who assist and protect victims of armed conflict. Yet, recent years have seen an alarming increase in incidents impacting aid workers. These include direct attacks, restrictions (including bureaucratic impediments) limiting access, and disinformation campaigns. Humanitarian action is increasingly being politicized and criminalized. 2024 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel, with national and locally recruited personnel representing over 90 per cent of those affected, and perpetrators remaining largely unaccountable.
On the oneyear anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council 2730 (2024), this side-event co-hosted by Australia and Switzerland and co-sponsored by a crossregional group of states presents an opportunity for member states to rededicate themselves to the protection of humanitarian personnel. Consisting of representatives of UN agencies, the ICRC, and international and non-governmental organisations, the panelists will present some of the daily challenges faced by national and locally recruited humanitarian personnel working in conflict zones today.

Consultation on Accountability for Sudan
2025-05-28 - 2025-05-30 | Nairobi, Kenya
Lessons learned from accountability efforts undertaken in other country contexts
Examples of accountability efforts undertaken in other country contexts and in various international, hybrid to internationalized contexts, such as the Gambia, Senegal (Chad), Sierra Leone, Rwanda and CAR.

Ways in which international, hybrid or internationalized mechanisms can be set up, what is needed to achieve this, their main features and challenges (e.g. differences between the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)).
Overview of regional and domestic accountability efforts and options, including the status of the Malabo Protocol, and the example of e.g. the Habre case in Senegal and CAR Special Criminal Court, and feasibility to adopt such a model to Sudan.
Feasibility of an international, hybrid or internationalized form of justice and accountability for Sudan, what are victim’s wishes for accountability and the way it should take shape? What is most realistic and suitable to the Sudan context (e.g. effective, independent, credible, number and level of perpetrators, financial constraints)?

Speakers:

Essa Faal, Senior Trial Attorney, ICC, former Lead Counsel on the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission.
Nick Leddy, Head of Litigation, Legal Action Worldwide (online)
Mutasim Ali, Legal Adviser Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
Stella Ndirangu, International Human Rights Lawyer, ICJ Kenya Council.

Justice Denied: Fighting Widespread Impunity for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) Conference
2025-06-02 - 2025-06-03 | Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
About the conference
The conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and critical reflection on the current state of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in the Indo-Pacific region, including fragile situations and all forms of sexual and gender based violence. It seeks to showcase cutting edge research as well as policy solutions and share diverse perspectives and experiences on CRSV within the region.

Justice and accountability for aid workers and health workers: What more can Geneva do?
2025-06-20 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London)
Since 2020, nearly 1,000 aid workers have been arbitrarily arrested or detained across various contexts. What can Geneva, home to international human rights institutions, do to better support justice and accountability for them?
Join us at the UN Human Rights Council for a crucial side event on justice and accountability for aid and health workers:
🗓 Date: Friday, 20 June 2025
🕛 Time: 12:00–13:00
📍 Location: Room XXV, Palais des Nations, Geneva
This important panel, hosted by Legal Action Worldwide, presents a critical opportunity to discuss stronger protections, more effective investigations, and access to international human rights mechanisms.
Speakers include:
🇦🇺 H.E. Ms. Emily Roper, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
🇨🇭 S.E. Mr. Julien Thöni, Switzerland at the United Nations
🇪🇺 H.E. Mr. Michele Cervone d’Urso, Delegation of the European Union to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva
🔹 Ms. Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
🔹 Ms. Pauline Chetcuti, Head of Humanitarian Advocacy and Campaigns, Oxfam International
🔹 Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, Head and Representative of United Nations OCHA in Geneva
🔹 Ms. Antonia Mulvey, Founder & Executive Director, LAW
🔹 Mr. Camille Gosselin, Advocacy Manager, Action Contre la Faim

Gender Justice & International Criminal Law Conference
2025-09-29 - 2025-09-30 | The Hague, World Forum, The Hague, Netherlands
On 29 and 30 September 2025in The Hague, the Gender and International Criminal Law Conference will bring together legal practitioners, scholars, activists, survivors, and policymakers to critically assess and respond to emerging challenges at the intersection of gender justice and international criminal law (ICL).
As obstacles to gender justice escalate in conflict and post-conflict zones around the world and international justice institutions face increasing attacks on their legitimacy and mandates, the need for a space to build resilience, solidarity, and resistance has never been more urgent.
Join us for a two-day conference bringing together over 100 key actors in the field of Gender Justice to confront urgent challenges, foster solidarity, and amplify collective voices.
Through dynamic dialogue and shared strategies, we will advance feminist and intersectional legal approaches that move beyond rhetoric to action. This annual gathering serves as a critical platform to elevate the voices, expertise, and leadership of Global Majority practitioners, advocates, and scholars.
This Conference is co-organized by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), the Gender Justice Practitioner Hub (GJP Hub), Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ), and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS). It is supported by the Global Initiative Against Impunity, the International Gender Champions Network, the Global Justice Center, and UN Women.
The Conference is made possible with the generous support of the Australian Government, with co-funding from the European Union.
Full event details coming soon.
