Apartheid, Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing – a NILSC Workshop
The Nottingham International Law and Security Centre (NILSC) hosted a hybrid workshop at the University of Nottingham on Thursday 19 June 2025. Convened by Dr Victor Kattan (University of Nottingham) and Professor Gerhard Kemp (University of the West of England, Bristol) the workshop was organised over three panels.
- Panel 1 addressed annexation, genocide, and ‘ethnic cleansing’
- Panel 2 addressed the crimes of apartheid and genocide
- Panel 3 addressed apartheid, persecution, and state crimes
Background to the workshop
Allegations of apartheid, genocide, and ‘ethnic cleansing’ have reached the world’s apex court in the cases of South Africa v Israel and Nicaragua v Germany in connection with the armed conflict between Israel, Hamas, and other Palestinian armed groups. Furthermore, the International Court of Justice has also issued an Advisory Opinion concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in which matters pertaining to apartheid, humanitarian law and related legal frameworks were prominently addressed. These cases raise questions concerning the normative content, elements, definition, status, and interrelationship between annexation, apartheid, genocide, and ethnic cleansing in the context of Palestine, and the factual events in Gaza in particular.
The following presentations and videos from the Workshop focussed on several key questions including:
- What are the differences or similarities between the definitions of the crimes of apartheid, genocide, and the phenomenon (or crime) of ethnic cleansing?
- Where can we look to determine/define the crimes?
- Can the history and sociology of annexation, apartheid, genocide, and ethnic cleansing inform our views on the interrelationship between these crimes/phenomena?
- What is the relationship between crimes against humanity (including apartheid and persecution), genocide, and ethnic cleansing?
- How have international tribunals addressed these crimes/phenomena and are there differences across different institutions/ courts?
We would like to thank all our speakers and participants – full details can be found in our programme
Presentations
Children, War and Genocide - Dr Noëlle Quénivet, Professor of International Law University of the West of England
Perception of Genocide and Apartheid as Crimes of Settler-Colonialism - are these crimes, in any way, structurally/conceptually connected? Professor Pilisano Masake, Namibia University of Science and Technology
Videos
Panel One
Opening Credits by Dr. Victor Kattan, Assistant Professor in Public International Law, University of Nottingham School of Law & Gerhard Kemp, Professor of Criminal Law at Bristol Law School, UWE Bristol
Jinan Bastaki, Associate Professor of Legal Studies at NYU Abu Dhabi
Noelle Quenivet, Professor in International Law at Bristol Law School, UWE Bristol
Andrea Maria Pelliconi, Lecturer in Human Rights Law at the University of Southampton School of Law
Karin Loevy, Manager of the JSD Program at NYU School of Law
Iva Vukušić, Assistant Professor in International History at Utrecht University
Panel Two
Alain Pellet, Emeritus Professor of Public International Law, University Paris Nanterre
William Schabas, Professor of International Law, Middlesex University London
Pilisano Masaka, Professor of Law and Executive Director in the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Namibia University of Science and Technology
Mona Rishmawi, Member of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Sudan
Michelle Staggs, Senior Lecturer in International Law at SOAS, University of London
Nicholas Boeglin, Professor of International Law, Law Faculty, University of Costa Rica
Panel Three
Leila Sadat, James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law, Washington University School of Law
Nina Jorgensen, Professor of Public International Law, University of Southampton School of Law
Alain Pellet, Emeritus Professor of Public International Law, University Paris Nanterre
Ysam Soualhi, Doctoral student in public law at the University of Angers
Sari Arraf, Doctoral student in law, King’s College London