On May, 24 our Association’s expert Borys Babin took part in on-line discussion “Architecture, Planning, and International Law: On Domicide”, organized by the Architectural League of New York with participation of UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Professor Balakrishnan Rajagopal.
During the event, experts from international law and built environment discussed the concept of domicide, including arguments for recognizing domicide as a crime against humanity. Relevant comments were done by Brad Samuels, founding partner at SITU, an unconventional architecture practice based in New York City and Natasha Aruri from Institute for Urban and Regional Planning of Technical University of Berlin.
Experts discussed what is the legal form and shape of “home” category in conditions of war conflict and issues of genocide and domicide connection also. Professor Babin initiated discussion on regarding domicide prevention and after-domicide reconstruction, in context of programming approach, from urgent challenges as chelters till final steps, as SDGs infrastructural development.
ARC expert stressed that the situation in Russia-occupied part of Ukraine, including the Crimea, where domicide is committed by aggressor in broadest forms of XXI century, must be taken into account. Also the issue of amendments to ICC Rome Statute is extremely important to criminalise domicide and possible co-operation with ICC Prosecutors Office may be fruitful, stressed Professor Babin.
UN Special Rapporteur agreed that bombing by Russia in Ukraine is a part of genocidal campain and clear domicide act in same time and stressed the duty to advocate to fulfill that gap of international law refarding recognition domicide, also as ecocide, as the international crimes. Also Professor Rajagopal reminded on possibility of UN’s blocking the aggressor states by adopting the decisions to unseat such violators of international law from UN structyres by General Assembly’s credential structures and Dr. Babin fully agreed with such Rapporteur’s initiative.
