UNSW Law & Justice students join Global Voices Delegation at the United Nations

Two UNSW Law & Justice students, Rayana Ajam and Samar Batool Athar, have represented Australia at the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal) in New York, as part of the prestigious Global Voices Fellowship. 

The Sixth Committee is the UN's primary forum for legal matters, where member states debate and develop international law. Through the fellowship, Rayana and Samar joined a delegation of young Australians gaining firsthand experience in diplomacy, policy development and international legal processes. 

Rayana Ajam, a Juris Doctor student, focused her policy paper on legislative gaps in Australia's defence export laws and their alignment with human rights obligations. 

"The Global Voices Policy Fellowship offered a truly unique opportunity for young, aspiring legal professionals to be in the room where the world's most pressing issues in international law are debated and deliberated," she said.  

"From equipping us with tangible policy drafting skills to connecting us with experts, lawmakers and practitioners in the international legal space, the fellowship was both a privilege and an invaluable learning experience." 

"Being present at the UN General Assembly at a time when faith in international law is deteriorating highlighted the immense responsibility that rests with the next generation of lawyers. It was a powerful reminder that young Australians, too, have a role in the fight for international justice." 

Through this experience, Rayana hopes to advocate for her policy findings, deepen her engagement in the disarmament space, and work toward a career in international humanitarian law. 

Samar Batool Athar, a final-year student of Law and Science (Mathematics), explored Australia's institutional mechanisms for enforcing universal jurisdiction against alleged perpetrators of international crimes in her policy paper.  

"Global Voices facilitated an incredible six-month-long policy fellowship, where we were able to consider international law from the micro to the macro – beginning with developing a detailed proposal on the implementation of international law principles in Australian federal policy, and ending with a consideration of the UN's role in the progressive development of international law across the world," she said. 

"During the fellowship, we were privileged to have bilateral meetings with federal members of parliament, government departments, international civil society groups, academics, a former High Court judge, and even a current judge of the International Court of Justice, who all generously engaged with our many questions around international law and policy development." 

Samar is completing her undergraduate honours thesis on the Sixth Committee. She hopes to pursue a career in public international law in the future.