Fighting Crimes Against Humanity

The U.N. International Law Commission has appointed Sean D. Murphy, Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor of Law, as a Special Rapporteur for Crimes Against Humanity. In this role, Professor Murphy will guide the Commission in drafting an international treaty that will reach the U.N. General Assembly. "The idea in the treaty is to address a current gap in international law," he said. "Unlike genocide and serious war crimes, we have no treaty that regulates inter-state cooperation—such as extradition and mutual legal assistance—on the other core crime of international law, crimes against humanity."