Professor Aswad Working on UN Proposals to Reduce Religious Violence

Herman G. Kaiser Chair in International Law Evelyn Aswad has been invited by the U.S. State Department to join its sub-working group on Religion and Conflict Mitigation, which is tasked with making proposals to Secretary of State John Kerry about initiatives the United States should pursue at the United Nations (UN) to reduce (and hopefully end) religious violence around the world. .  The group is made up of members of NGOs, faith leaders, State Department officials, and academics.   Professor Aswad will be assisting the group with her expertise in international legal frameworks involving human rights, genocide, and crimes against humanity as well as her experience negotiating at the UN General Assembly in New York and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.  “Given the atrocities happening in the Middle East, this is a timely and worthy endeavor and I’m pleased to help out,” said Aswad. 

The working group recently met in New York to brainstorm ways forward on the margins of the gathering of leaders from around the world at the UN General Assembly.  Professor Aswad presented her initial views to the working group and was tasked with a number of additional international law issues to research.  She is looking forward to working with OU students to answer these questions.  “I am hoping that students who have pledged to work a certain number of pro bono hours will dedicate some of those hours to helping me research and brainstorm about these timely issues.  In my short time at OU, I’ve seen our students have a great interest in these matters and much to add to these types of discussions.”