Advocacy

Safeguarding Human Rights and Upholding International Law

We advocate for global coordination, legal frameworks, and collective action to address human rights violations and provide accountability for violations of international law.

CGS is proud to have played a critical role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) through a leadership role in the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), a diverse global collective of more than 1,000 civil society organizations dedicated to supporting the universality and effectiveness of the “Court of Last Resort” with jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Today, CGS advocates for the safeguarding human rights and upholding international law by:

Advancing Efforts toward US Ratification of the Rome Statute and Cooperation with the International Criminal Court

CGS is a member of the Washington Working Group for the ICC, an informal, nonpartisan, and diverse coalition of nongovernmental organizations in Washington, D.C., that promotes U.S. engagement and cooperation with the ICC. Through this mechanism, CGS participates in direct advocacy for US cooperation with international justice institutions. More information on how to engage in these processes is forthcoming on this page. In the interim, to learn more, send us a message. Individuals also can email their elected representative through the CICC. 

Promoting US Ratification and Implementation of All UN Human Rights Treaties and their Optional Protocols

In addition to the Rome Statute, the UN treaty system includes nine core human rights instruments and a further nine optional protocols. The United States is only party to five of these and has not ratified any major human rights treaty since 2002. CGS advocates for full ratification and implementation of the core UN human rights treaties. Among the treaties to which the US is not a State Party are:
 

    • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and its optional protocols
    • Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
    • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CERD)
    • International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance
    • International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families
    • International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and its optional protocols.
    • Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture
    • Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including the protocol related to abolition of the death penalty.

Please return for more information on how to support these causes in Fall 2023.

Hannah Fields

White Lotus Bookkeeping

Accounting Services

White Lotus Bookkeeping specializes in bookkeeping and financial services for small and medium 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Learn more.

Hannah Fields

Keshet Benschikovski

Program Associate

Keshet Benschikovski is a Program Associate at Citizens for Global Solutions, where she supports the development, implementation, and coordination of CGS program activities. She brings a diverse background in international development, humanitarian assistance, and conflict resolution, with experience spanning project assistance, policy research, and business development.

Prior to joining Citizens for Global Solutions, Keshet served as a Project Assistant with the International Organization for Migration, where she played a key role in case management for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. She previously worked at Social Impact, where she led knowledge management initiatives and contributed to the development of multimillion-dollar proposals for international development activities promoting democracy, human rights, and governance. Her experience also includes research, advocacy, and reporting assistance for EcoPeace Middle East, where she supported environmental cooperation initiatives in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.

Keshet holds an M.A. in Conflict Resolution and Mediation from Tel Aviv University and a B.A. in International Studies from American University. She holds certificates in Mediation from Tel Aviv University and Results-Based Management from UNICEF.