In a new article for the International Review of the Red Cross, Bonnie Docherty, lecturer on law and director of the Clinic’s Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative, examines the evolution of the concept of victim assistance and the impact of its implementation. Co-authored with Alicia Sanders-Zakre, the article analyzes the contributions of three treaties—the Mine Ban Treaty, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Convention on Cluster Munitions—in shaping the development of victim assistance standards and practices. It also identifies lessons from these treaties for implementing and interpreting the victim assistance obligations under the Treaty under the Prohibition on Nuclear Weapons. The article “concludes that the three treaties have collectively established assisting victims as a feature of disarmament law, helped persons with disabilities realize their rights, and laid the groundwork for adapting victim assistance to new challenges.”
The full article, “The Origins and Influence of Victim Assistance: Contributions of the Mine Ban Treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Convention on Cluster Munitions,” is available here. It is part of a special International Review of the Red Cross issue addressing persons with disabilities in armed conflict.