The American Bar Association’s House of Delegates unanimously adopted Resolution 501 at the August 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago:

RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges all governments to recognize, stop, and prevent further acts of genocide perpetrated against the Hazara people in Afghanistan;

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges the United States Department of State Office of Global Criminal Justice to promote justice and accountability efforts to end impunity for genocide in Afghanistan; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges the Congress to take action to strengthen national, regional, and international frameworks for preventing mass atrocities in Afghanistan and protecting at-risk groups like the Hazara.

The adoption of this Resolution by the House of Delegates establishes it as officially binding policy of the American Bar Association.

Our committee introduced the resolution based on a policy paper written by its co-chairs. It received sponsorship from the ABA International Law Section and co-sponsorship from the Section of Civil Rights And Social Justice, Center For Human Rights, and Criminal Justice Section.

You can read the full text of the Resolution as adopted, with its accompanying Report, here.