The second annual Human Rights Lobby Day, coordinated by the ABA Section of International Law’s Human Rights Committee and the Governmental Affairs Office in conjunction with the action network of Global Solutions, brought dozens of participants to Capitol Hill June 19 to urge congressional action on several international treaties and to support increased U.S. support for the International Criminal Court.
The event was organized by Human Rights Committee Co-Chairs Elizabeth Turchi and Joe Federici, and ABA participants included Sara Elizabeth Dill, Ryan McClure, Gigi Nikpour, Becky Farrar, Fatima Ahmad, Anita Castro, Will Pons, Renee Dopplick, Sophia Thelusma, Thomas Butler, and Edison Dick.
During their visits, participants highlighted the importance of U.S. ratification of two treaties: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The week after the event on June 24, the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy, and Global Women’s Issues held a hearing on efforts to combat violence and discrimination against women around the world, including the ratification of CEDAW and enactment of the proposed International Violence Against Women Act.