Jeremy Julian Sarkin

Professor Dr Jeremy Julian Sarkin is Distinguished Research Professor of Law at NOVA University of Lisbon in Portugal. He also holds positions as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Studies, University of London, and Extraordinary Professor of Law at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His academic career spans multiple continents with significant contributions to international human rights law and transitional justice.

His educational background includes a BA LLB from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School, and a Doctor of Laws degree on comparative and international law from the University of the Western Cape. He is admitted to practice as an attorney in New York and South Africa and has served as an acting judge in the South African High Court.

Professor Sarkin's research focuses on human rights, transitional justice, migration issues, gender, environmental justice, drones, genocide, enforced disappearances, and music and human rights. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in post-conflict societies worldwide. His research demonstrates a consistent commitment to addressing systemic human rights violations through innovative legal approaches and policy recommendations.

The analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong thematic focus on intersectionality in human rights protection, particularly regarding vulnerable populations like refugee women. His scholarship increasingly examines emerging technologies like AI and drones within international humanitarian law frameworks, while maintaining his longstanding expertise in transitional justice mechanisms and enforced disappearances. His work on Syria represents a significant contribution to addressing missing persons in conflict zones, with his UN-accepted proposal for a mechanism to deal with disappeared persons in Syria.

• Chairperson-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (3 years)
• Member of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (6 years)
• Member of 17 journal editorial boards including Human Rights Quarterly
• Author of 20 books and over 350 journal articles and book chapters

Professor Sarkin has extensive experience advising on transitional justice processes in numerous countries including South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Burundi, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, St Helena Island, Timor-Leste, DRC, Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Syria, and Lebanon. His proposal for a Mechanism to deal with disappeared and missing persons in Syria was accepted by the UN General Assembly in 2023. He has worked with various international organizations including the UN, ICMP, and UNDP on human rights and transitional justice projects worldwide.