Reports : Annual Report 2023

Annual Report 2023

Message from LAW’s founder and executive Director

I am very pleased to introduce LAW’s 2023 annual report.  

2023 marked the 10-year anniversary for LAW. In its first decade, LAW has provided legal information to more than 100’000 individuals in conflict contexts and supported more than 4’000 individuals (73% of which are women) with legal representation. The organisation has initiated landmark cases, provided critical interventions, and advocated for the views of our clients at the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women – and in other courts and justice mechanisms, including national courts in Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka and Lebanon. LAW has submitted 2’855 pages of evidence to National and International Courts and tribunals and has provided training to more than 11’120 community members. More than 1’588 justice actors have received training or technical support across a wide range of topics relevant to their work. LAW supported 2’000 survivors in establishing responsive networks. The team now numbers more than 90 lawyers, jurists and support staff.  

Once again, thanks to the dedication and passion of our staff, partners, and the support from our board members and donors, but most importantly, the courage and determination of victims and survivors, LAW has continued to make strides towards delivering justice, putting an end to impunity and establishing the legal and policy frameworks that are needed to prevent and redress human rights violations and abuses in conflict and fragile settings. 

In 2023, LAW worked, undeterred, with victims and survivors in Bangladesh, Syria, Lebanon, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. 2023 marked not only the first 10-year anniversary of LAW, but also the year of decisive development and milestones for LAW, including: 

• The initiation of operations of a new programme in Ukraine, along with local and international partners, to bring justice to victims of international crimes in the context of the ongoing war with Russia.  

• Publishing a groundbreaking multidisciplinary report “Long-Term Physical and Psychosocial Consequences of Genocidal Sexual and Gender-Based Violence the Myanmar Military Committed against the Rohingya in its 2017 ‘Clearance Operations”. The report is an instrumental contribution towards the analytical evidence that the International Court of Justice has at its disposal for a gendered analysis to determine genocide in the Gambia v. Myanmar case.  

• Facilitating the direct testimony of seven Rohingya survivors before a Federal Criminal Court in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in charge of a case filed under universal jurisdiction concerning genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya. The testimony was historic and precedent-setting, as it allowed direct participation of survivors in the proceedings and was critical to building evidence for the case.   

• The award to Shanti Mohila of the Raphael Lemkin Champion of Prevention of Genocide by the UN Office of Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide (OSAPG) for their work in advocating justice in the spirit of the Genocide Convention.   

• Launching the Myanmar programme which focuses on accountability for conflict-related sexual violence crimes in the post-coup context.  

• Kicking off the first phase of the Gender Justice Practitioners Hub with activities that included the organisation of two roundtables in Beirut, Lebanon and Bangkok, Thailand, a side event about the initiative during the Assembly of State Parties to the ICC and setting up the Advisory Committee.  

• Publishing our policy brief “An Untapped Justice Opportunity for Syria: A State Party Referral to the International Criminal Court”, outlining the arguments that make possible a referral to the ICC for the case of Syria. 

• As part of our advocacy work, publishing a handbook on the implementation of the Geneva Conventions Act in South Sudan which was shared with stakeholders like the Ministry of Justice, as well as judges and prosecutors in the country. 

• In 2023, LAW undertook in-depth research focusing on the obstacles face by humanitarian aid workers working at international and national NGOs, through review of existing literature and reports, conducting roundtables and completing an anonymous online survey.  

• Since October 2023, LAW has identified and collated key legal developments and analysis regarding the situation of Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories. These documents are publicly available on LAW’s website.  

• Increasing LAW’s presence in specialized media, with pieces published in Opinio Juris and Just Security. 

• Strengthening LAW’s capacity to response to crimes of sexual violence committed against children, particularly boys and LGBTQI+ survivors, through the support of the OAK Foundation.  

• Providing more than 20,000 individuals with legal information and representing over 700 persons – including 572 women.  

Challenges remain, but our collective efforts, our commitment to serve and empower victims and survivors, and our unique approach, mean that we were able to achieve successes for women, men, children, and LGBTQI+ individuals, no matter how difficult in today’s environment.  

In all the major conflicts today – from Sudan to Ukraine to Gaza, and many others – we see overstretched humanitarian action trying to alleviate suffering and somehow to compensate for the failure of peacekeeping and mediation. Action that was never designed nor able to fill the greater void left by this failure. International accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the UN all struggle to keep pace with the global epidemic of violence in conflict areas. And they cannot. Still justice for victims in conflict and survivors remains rare. 

It is in this context that LAW has focused on providing comprehensive and onsite support for survivors to access either national or international legal avenues. By providing legal aid to victims and survivors, conducting strategic litigation, assisting national actors with legal technical expertise, and advocating before national and international bodies, LAW places survivors’ needs for justice and accountability at the centre of its work. 

In LAW’s next decade, I hope we will support and participate in an international global network of like-minded legal action groups in all regions, building on the 36 national partners which we work with today.  

Thank you to everyone that has contributed to our work and achievements in 2023: LAW’s staff and Board, our advisory committee, partners, donors and national and international organisations that make our work stronger, better, and more impactful.  

Antonia Mulvey Founder and Executive Director, Legal Action Worldwide 

Read the full report here.