Water as a Weapon of War - Report

13 UCLA Law students are working on a pro bono project with the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo- Agudo, to draft a report on the role of water as a weapon in conflicts. 

The students’ research analyzes the intersections of water, conflict and human rights in six countries - Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen - and underscores key obligations of States under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The report will be co-published by the Special Rapporteur and The Promise Institute in 2026.

Prosecuting Environmental Crimes - Policy Paper

In 2024, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court turned his attention to accountability for grave environmental harm under the terms of the Court’s Statute. 

UCLA Law students partnered with ICC Special Adviser Kevin Jon Heller and the Office of the Prosecutor to support and contribute to the consultation phase of this important process. They worked with Executive Director Mackintosh and legal consultant Xuchen Zhang to analyze responses to a call for public input to the process.

• The Office of the Prosecutor released the draft policy in December of 2024. The Policy will be launched on December 4 at the Assembly of States Parties. 

• Read the blog in Legal Planet about this project by student Aria Burdon Dabach.