The UCLA Law in The Hague students spent a memorable three days in Geneva, visiting leading institutions at the heart of international law. They observed debates at the United Nations Human Rights Council, visited the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum and met with a range of legal and human rights professionals. 

The students spoke with UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo; learned from ICRC lawyer Etienne Kuster about his experiences in Thailand and Pakistan, and heard from Raphael Pangalangan and Federica Donati at the UN about human rights protections and the UN’s Special Procedures system. They also met UC alum Sun Kim, who shared insights into UN Commissions of Inquiry and the challenges of investigating serious human rights violations

The students also sampled traditional Swiss cheese fondue and capped off their trip with a boat ride on Lake Geneva! 

This visit gave the students a front row seat to international human rights in practice and provided a unique opportunity to connect directly with leading practitioners in global legal work. 

We were delighted to join the community reception and forum for University of California alumni, students, and friends in the Netherlands at the 25th anniversary celebration of the study abroad exchange of UC and Utrecht University! 
 
While our Executive Director, Kate Mackintosh, introduced the work of the Promise Institute for Human Rights Europe, our UCLA Law in The Hague students Alexandra, Amber, and John, reflected on their personal journeys and what it means to get practical experience with international law here in Europe. 
 
We thoroughly enjoyed connecting with other University of California friends in the Netherlands and exchanging experiences! 
 
This event was organized by the University of California Education Abroad Program and the University of California Trust. 

🌍 International Conference on Ecocide, Human Rights and Environmental Justice  
📅 31 October 2025 | 🏛 Senate House, London  

The programme is now online for the upcoming International Conference on Ecocide, Human Rights & Environmental Justice. 

The conference brings together an exceptional group of speakers from across the globe to discuss critical questions at the intersection of law, human rights, and the environment. The daytime conference will open with a keynote address from Baroness Rosie Boycott, Vice-Chair of Peers for the Planet, and feature three legal expert panels: 

Panel 1: Corporations and Colonialism 

Panel 2: Accountability and Repair: Defining Justice for the Crime of Ecocide 

Panel 3: Human Rights and Environmental Stewardship 

In each session, authors will present and discuss papers selected for publication in a forthcoming Special Issue of the International Journal of Human Rights. 

In the evening we will focus on concrete action to advance the agenda of human rights and environmental justice. The High Commissioner of Zambia to the UK, Her Excellency Macenje Mazoka; Monica Lennon, member of the Scottish parliament who introduced the ecocide bill earlier this year;  Jojo Mehta co-founder and CEO of  Stop Ecocide International and climate educator Samia Dumbuya are among the voices speaking to action on criminalising ecocide and delivering environmental justice. 

Please note: registration is required  separately for the daytime conference and the evening event. 

We are delighted to share that three articles from the forthcoming  Special Issue of The International Journal of Human Rights  have already been published online. Their authors will also present and discuss their contributions at the upcoming conference. 

Catherine Savard, “What mens rea for ecocide in the Rome Statute?” 
This article addresses the challenge of defining the mental element of ecocide. It critiques the limits of the intent standard in the Rome Statute, and explores whether negligence, recklessness, or wilful blindness might offer a more appropriate framework for capturing severe environmental harm. 

Juliana Galindo & Héctor Herrera, “From environmental war crimes to ecocide: lessons from Colombia’s transitional justice” 
Drawing on the jurisprudence of Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the authors examine how environmental war crimes are adjudicated in transitional justice settings. Their analysis highlights the recognition of other-than-human entities as victims, the thresholds for ecological harm, and the integration of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian perspectives into legal reasoning. 

Matthew Gillett, “‘Human, all too human’: the anthropocentricisation of ecocide” 
This contribution applies the theory of co-optation to the ecocide movement, cautioning against overly anthropocentric interpretations. It considers how different formulations of ecocide within the ICC framework could either dilute its transformative potential or push the law toward more ecocentric approaches. 

We are looking forward to hearing these authors explain their research at the conference! 

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