Section Sponsored Reports with Recommendations
International Human Rights
- Urges the United States Government to support the Darfur peace accord signed on May 5, 2006; and to support the work of the International Criminal Court in investigating and prosecuting the individuals responsible for crimes in Darfur, Sudan, the humanitarian work of the United Nations in Darfur, Sudan, the peacekeeping efforts of the African Union, and any eventual peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations in Darfur, Sudan. Presented by the Section of Litigation. Co-sponsored by the Criminal Justice Section, Section of State and Local Government Law, Section of International Law, Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Young Lawyers Division.
Approved August 2006 - Calls upon the United States government to take all necessary
and proper actions within its power to end the ongoing atrocities
(including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes) in
Darfur, Sudan. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual
Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved as Revised February 2005
- Supports the repeal of annual numerical caps that result in
undue delays in the granting of lawful permanent residence to
those individuals who have already been granted asylum status
in the United States. Presented by the Commission on Immigration.
Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities,
the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, the
National Legal Aid and Defender Association, the American Immigration
Lawyers Assocation, the Commission on Domestic Violence, and the
Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.
Approved February 2005
- Condemns any use of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment upon persons within the custody or under
the physical control of the United States government (including
its contractors) and any endorsement or authorization of such
measures by government lawyers, officials and agents. Presented
by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the
Task Force on Treatment of Enemy Combatants. Co-sponsored by the
Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, the Criminal
Justice Section, the Section of International Law and Practice,
the Section of Litigation, the Center for Human Rights, the Bevely
Hills Bar Association, the Bar Association of San Francisco, the
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York
County Lawyers' Association, the Virgin Islands Bar Association,
the Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, the
Section of Business Law, and the New York State Bar Association.
Approved as Revised August 2004
- Enunciates policy that should govern the proper exercise of
universal criminal jurisdiction and clarifies the right of a nation
to preempt the exercise of such jurisdiction over one or more
of its citizens or lawful residents accused of committing an international
crime upon declaring its willingness to investigate the allegations
and prosecute the accused in accordance with international human
rights norms and standards. Co-sponsored by the Standing Committee
on Law and National Security, the Section of International Law
and Practice, the Center for Human Rights, the Criminal Justice
Section, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Standing
Committee on Armed Forces, Law, Goverment and Public Sector Lawyers
Division, and the Judges Advocate Assocation.
Approved February 2004
- Supports the creation of a United Nations Democracy Caucus within
the United Nations (UN) framework to work towards the strengthening
of democracy, human rights and the rule of law throughout the
UN system. Presented by the Section of International Law and
Practice. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and
Responsibilities, the Section of Business Law, the Section of
Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, and the Section of
Science and Technology Law.
Approved February 2004
- Supports and urges reasonable and balanced initiatives designed
to detect and prevent domestic and international money laundering
and terrorist financing. Co-sponsored by the Section of
Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved February 2003
- Proposes that the military commissions established under the
military order issued by the President on November 13, 2001, be
structured and implemented in a manner that meets the requirements
of fundamental fairness as generally recognized both in the United
States and among our principal allies in the fight against terrorism. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved as revised February 2002
- Recommends that the United States Government accede to the Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court. Co-sponsored
by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved February 2001
- Supports U.S. ratification of an optional protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on Involvement of Children in Armed
Conflict. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights
and Responsibilities.
Approved July 2000
- Supports U.S. ratification of an optional protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution,
and Child Pornography. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual
Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved July 2000
- Urges the United States to pay its outstanding dues to the United
Nations. Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights
and Responsibilities.
Approved July 2000
- Urges support of The Hague Private International Law Convention
on the International Protection of Adults. Co-sponsored
by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved February 2000
- Supports efforts to ensure prompt enforcement of orders and
final judgments of courts of competent jurisdiction in family
law matters involving employees of international organizations.
Co-sponsored by the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.
Approved as revised August 1999
- Suggests that the ABA include an accompanying list of reservations,
understandings, and declarations in efforts to promote its previous
endorsement of the ratification of the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child. Jointly presented with the Criminal
Justice Section, the Law Student Division, the Young Lawyers Division
and the National Association of Womens Lawyers/ Related recommendation
sponsored by the Section Approved (2/91).
Approved February 1994
- Urges the U.S. government and United Nations Security Council
to investigate and punish war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Approved by Board of Governors February 1994
- Urges the United States to pay its debt to the United Nations
for its regular and peacekeeping expenses. Jointly presented
with the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law. Cosponsored
by the Standing Committee on Law and National Security and the
Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Approved August 1992
- Supports Senate ratification of the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child. Jointly presented with the Young
Lawyers Division, the Section of Family Law and the Section of
International Law and Practice. Related recommendation sponsored
by the Section Approved (2/94).
Approved February 1991
- Urges the United States to take steps to protect human rights
in Iran. Jointly presented with the Section of International
Law and Practice and the Standing Committee on World Order Under
Law. Cosponsored by the Standing Committee on Law and National
Security.
Approved August 1989
- Supports an international treaty to provide for the rights of
disabled persons. Jointly presented with the Section of International
Law and Practice.
Approved August 1989
- Urges the United States to fulfill its financial obligations
to the Organization of American States. Jointly presented
with the Section of International Law and Practice and the Standing
Committee on World Order Under Law.
Approved August 1989
- Urges the United States to initiate steps opposing the apartheid
policies of South Africa. Jointly presented with the Section
of International Law and Practice and the Standing Committee on
World Order Under Law. Related Recommendations sponsored by the
Section Approved (8/85, 8/86).
Approved August 1989
- Urges the United States to support the establishment of human
rights departments in multilateral development banks. Jointly
presented with the Section of International Law and Practice and
the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law.
Approved August 1989
- Condemns human rights violations in China in April-June 1989
and calls upon the United States to take steps to protect and
promote international human rights standards. Jointly presented
with the Section of International Law and Practice, cosponsored
by the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law.
Approved August 1989
- Urges the United States to pay all of its debts to the United
Nations. Jointly presented with the Standing Committee on
World Order Under the Law and the Section of International Law
and Practice. Related recommendations sponsored by the Section
Approved (8/92).
Approved February 1988
- Supports the steps taken by the U.S.S.R. in the area of legal
reform and increased democratization of Soviet society under the
policy of “glasnost.” Jointly presented with the
Standing Committee on World Order Under the Law and the Section
of International Law and Practice.
Approved as revised August 1987
- Opposes the Chilean Government’s interference in the operations
of the country’s legal system. Jointly presented with
the Standing Committee on World Order Under the Law, the Section
of International Law and Practice, and the Standing Committee
on Law and National Security.
Approved as Amended August 1987
- Condemns documented genocide in Cambodia. Presented by the
Association of the Bar of the City of New York, cosponsored by
the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, the Young
Lawyers Division, and the Standing Committee on World Order Under
Law.
Approved February 1987
- Reaffirms, in light of the Iran-Contra scandal, the American
Bar Association’s longstanding commitment to the rule of
law in the conduct of United States foreign policy. Jointly
presented with the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law.
Approved as revised February 1987
- Supports the recognition of a fundamental right to food for
every person throughout the world. Jointly presented with
the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law.
Approved as Amended August 1986
- Urges the immediate release of all political prisoners in South
Africa. Jointly presented with the Standing Committee on World
Order Under Law. Related recommendations sponsored by the Section
Approved (2/85, 8/89).
Approved as Amended August 1986
- Recommends that the United States law concerning visa denials
should not prevent an alien from obtaining a visa solely on the
basis of past or current political beliefs or political associations
or on the basis of the expected content of the person’s
statements. Jointly presented with the Standing Committee
on Law and National Security.
Approved as Amended February 1986
- Recommends that the United States immediately pursue negotiations
with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to conclude a treaty
relative to prohibiting first use of nuclear weapons. Jointly
presented with the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law.
Related recommendations sponsored by the Section Approved (2/85);
Withdrawn (8/74); jointly presented Withdrawn (8/82).
Approved as Amended August 1985
- Calls upon the nuclear powers to promptly resume negotiations
to conclude a mutually verifiable treaty to end all nuclear weapons
testing. Jointly presented with the Standing Committee on
World Order Under Law. Related recommendation sponsored by Section
Approved (2/85). Related recommendations sponsored by the Section
Approved (2/85); Withdrawn (8/74); jointly presented Withdrawn
(8/82).
Approved as Amended August 1985
- Supports the concept of federal legislation that would clearly
establish a federal right of action by both aliens and United
States citizens against person who, under color of foreign law,
engage in acts of torture or extrajudicial killing as defined
by the law of nations. Jointly presented with the Standing
Committee on World Order Under Law.
Approved as Amended August 1985
- Opposes the South African policy of apartheid, and urges the
United States government to take action to oppose apartheid. Jointly
presented with the Standing Committee on World Order Under Law.
Related recommendations sponsored by the Section Approved (8/86,
8/89).
Approved as Amended February 1985
- Urges the United States to continue its efforts to strength
the international regime aimed at presenting the proliferation
of nuclear weapons. Jointly presented with the Standing Committee
on World Order Under Law and the World Peace Through Law Section
of the Washington State Bar Association. Related recommendations
sponsored by the Section Approved (8/85); Withdrawn (8/74); jointly
presented Withdrawn (8/82).
Approved February 1985
- Urges the federal United States to undertake effective measures
to promote the full participation of Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
and Cuba in the Treaty of Tlatelolco establishing a nuclear weapons
free zone in Latin America. Jointly presented with the Standing
Committee on World Order Under Law and the World Peace Through
Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association.
Approved February 1985
- Calls for the creation of a special committee of the American
Bar Association to review alleged violations of human rights involving
lawyers in their capacities as lawyers.
Referred to Section of International Law and Practice August 1976
- Urges the nations involved in the Middle East Conflict to adhere
fully to the provisions of the Geneva Convention.
Approved February 1974
- Urges the President of the United States to call public attention
to the international and domestic problems arising from the increase
in population growth.
Approved February 1970
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