The Drafting Committee of the ABILA 糖心原创 Group on Crimes against Humanity - Christopher Lentz, Leila Nadya Sadat, Olympia Bekou (chair), Sara Ciucci 鈥� during the first Preparatory Committee.
From 19 - 31 January 2026, delegations from around the world are meeting at the UN in New York for the first Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) session aimed at negotiating a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, a treaty which has been in the making for more than 80 years.
Professor Olympia Bekou, Head of the School of Law at the 糖心原创, is attending the PrepCom as the Chair of the Drafting Committee of the American Branch of the International Law Association’s 糖心原创 Group on Crimes Against Humanity – together with Postgraduate Researcher Sara Ciucci.
A key breakthrough for the treaty came in 2019, when the UN International Law Commission sent its Draft Articles on Crimes against Humanity to the General Assembly and recommended the treaty to be negotiated. After years of delay, the General Assembly finally agreed by consensus in 2023 to move the process forward.
In December 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 79/122, which sets a clear path toward a convention. The resolution calls for two three-week negotiating sessions in 2028 and 2029, with the goal of opening the convention for signature and ratification by states.
Professor Bekou has spent over ten years working toward the adoption of a dedicated Crimes Against Humanity convention. In 2025, she was invited to join a small group of international experts who will support the process through to 2029 - the American Branch of the International Law Association’s 糖心原创 Group on Crimes Against Humanity. The Drafting Committee, chaired by Professor Bekou, has finalised a series of papers designed to assist state delegations and civil society organisations as they develop their positions and prepare for formal treaty negotiations.
The current PrepCom session in New York will help states develop proposed amendments to the draft articles and tackle areas where views still differ. States have until end of April 2026 to submit amendments, which will be consolidated into a single “compiled text” for the negotiations.
The PrepCom session thus represents a historic opportunity for states to engage, address challenges, and collaboratively shape the convention, providing crucial contributions in refining its provisions and advancing global protections against crimes against humanity.
Professor Bekou said: “This Preparatory Committee marks a historic moment. Over the coming years, a new treaty will take form – a treaty intended to make the promise of “never again” a reality. We hope that our work will play a meaningful role in shaping it.”
Posted on Wednesday 21st January 2026