BA (Carleton), LLB (Osgoode Hall Law School), LLM (Essex), Docteur ès sciences politiques in International Law, (Graduate Institute of International Studies)

Lyal S. Sunga teaches International Humanitarian Law at Strathmore. He is also Visiting Professor at the American University of Rome in Italy and Affiliated Professor at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lund, Sweden. Since 2014, he has lectured in Moscow, Kazan, Voronezh and Yekaterinburg, as part of an annual human rights summer school program run by the UN in the Russian Federation.

Previously, Dr. Sunga served as Head, Rule of Law program at The Hague Institute of Global Justice, The Netherlands (2015-2016), Special Advisor on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the International Development Law Organization in Rome (2014-2015), Visiting Professor at the Peking University Law School (2006), Director of Research and Senior Lecturer at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (2005-2009), Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Laws program in Human Rights at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law (2001-2005), Coordinator of the UN Human Rights Council’s Group of Experts (2007), and Human Rights Officer at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva Switzerland (1994-2001). He has also been Visiting Professor at Padjajaran University in Bandung, Indonesia, at the University of Geneva, (2002-2003), at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Law (1998), and Lecturer at McGill Faculty of Law in Montreal (1992), and at Carleton University in Ottawa (1991-1995). Over the last 25 years, Sunga has conducted monitoring, investigation, reporting, technical cooperation, education and training in some 55 countries in human rights, humanitarian law and international criminal law. More information on his academic and practical experience, publications and media appearances can be found on his website.

Books
  • Emerging System of Int’l Criminal Law: Developments in Codification & Implementation, Kluwer (1997) 508 p.
  • Individual Responsibility in International Law for Serious Human Rights Violations Brill (1992) 252 p.
Book Sections
  • Can Human Rights NGOs Be Trusted in the Corridors of the United Nations and International Criminal Justice Institutions?, in Partnerships in International Policy-Making, Palgrave (2016) 107-129.
  • Has the ICC Unfairly Targeted Africa or Has Africa Unfairly Targeted the ICC?, in The ICC in Search of Its Purpose and Identity, Routledge (2015) 147-173.
  • Victims’ Redress amidst Terrorism’s Changing Tactics and Strategies, in Research Handbook on Terrorism and International Law, Elgar Publications, (co-authored with Ilaria Bottigliero) (2014) 538-552.
  • Can international criminal investigators and prosecutors afford to ignore information from UN human rights sources? in Bergsmo (ed.) Quality Control in International Fact-Finding (2013) 359-401.
  • The Human Rights Council, in An Instit’l Approach to Responsibility to Protect: Cambridge (2013) 156-178.
  • Humanitarian Space in the Arab Spring, in Humanitarian Space: Webster University (2011) 282-320.
  • What Should Be the UN Human Rights Council’s Role in Investigating Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity? in New Challenges for the UN Human Rights Machinery: Intersentia (2011) 319-349.
  • What Makes Democracy Good? in Making Peoples Heard, Martinus Nijhoff (2011) 81-98.
  • Does the Concept of 'Human Security' Add Anything of Value to International Legal Theory or Practice? in Power and Justice in International Relations, Ashgate (2009) 131-146.
  • What Effect If Any Will the UN Human Rights Council Have on Special Procedures? in International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms: Martinus Nijhoff (2nd ed.) (2009) 169-183.
  • Ten Principles for Reconciling TRCs and Crim. Prosecutions, in The ICC Legal Regime Brill(2009) 1071-1104.
  • Dilemmas of NGO Involvement in Coalition-Occupied Iraq, in Ethics in Action, Cambridge (2007) 99-116.
  • The Role of Humanitarian Intervention in Int’l Peace and Security: Guarantee or Threat?, in Int’l Progress Organization & Google Books (2006) 41-79.
  • NGO Involvement in International Human Rights Monitoring, in International Human Rights Law and Non-Governmental Organizations, Bruylant (2005) 41-69.
  • International Criminal Law Protection of Minority Rights, in Skurbaty (ed), Beyond a One-Dimensional State: An Emerging Right to Autonomy? Brill (2004) 255-275.
  • Independence and Fairness of the ICC, in Study on Major Issues Relating to the International Criminal Court (People’s Court Press) (2003)(in Putonghua) 24-30.
  • US Anti-Terrorism Policy and Asia’s Options, in Johannen, Smith and Gomez, (eds.) September 11 & Political Freedoms: Asian Perspectives (Select) (2002) 242-264.
  • Full Respect for the Rights of Suspect, Accused and Convict: from Nuremberg and Tokyo to the ICC, in Henzelin and Roth (eds), Le droit pénal à l’épreuve de l’internationalisation, (Bruylant) (2002) 217-239.
  • The Special Procedures of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: Should They Be Scrapped?, in Alfredsson (ed), International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms (Kluwer) (2001) 231-275.
  • A Competência Ratione Materiae da Corte Internacional Criminal: Arts. 5 a 10 Do Estatuto de Roma, in Ambos, Tribunal Penal Internacional (Editora RT) (2000) (in Portuguese) 191-219.
  • La Jurisdicción ratione materiae de la Corte Penal Internacional (parte II, arts. 5E a 10E), in Ambos, El Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional (Univ. externado de Colombia) (1999) 233-268 (in Spanish).
  Law Journal Articles 
  •  How Should UN Standards Guide International Judicial Training in Post-Conflict Situations?: Personal Reflections Twenty Years after the Rwandan Genocide, 2 Int’l Org. for Judicial Training (2014).
  •   Does Climate Change ... Cause Violent Ethnic Conflict?  21 Int’l J of Minority and Group Rights (2014) 1-24.
  • Comment on ICTR Zigiranyirazo Case, 32 Annotated Leading Cases of Int’l Crim. Tribunals (2011) 240-258.
  • How Can UN Human Rights Special Procedures Sharpen ICC Fact-Finding?15(2) Int’l J. H.R. (2011) 187-204.
  • Does Climate Change Kill People in Darfur? 2(1) Journal of HR and the Environment (2011) 64-85.
  • Intro. to Lund Statement on UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures, 76 Nordic J. Int’l L. (2007) 1-20.
  • Comment - Kordic / Cerkez Trial Judgment,7 Annotated Leading Cases of Int’l Crim.Tribunals (2004) 490-511.
  • Int’l Recognition of‘Crimes under Int’l Law’, 19 Int’l Rev. Penal Law (Erès) Italy, 2002 (2004) 303-315.
  • Can International Humanitarian Law Play an Effective Role in Occupied Iraq? 3 Indian Society of Int’l Law Yearbook of Int’l Humanitarian and Refugee Law (2003) 1-21.
  • Musings on ‘The Future of International Criminal Justice’ 11(2) Asia Pacific Law Rev. (2003) 217-232.
  • Will the International Criminal Court be Fair and Impartial?, 2 (1) Article 2 (February 2003) 9-20.
  • The Attitude of Asian Countries Towards the International Criminal Court, 2 Indian Society of International Law Yearbook of International Humanitarian and Refugee Law (2002) 18-57.
  • The United Nations System for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights with Special reference to South Korea and the New National Human Rights Commission, 4 Sang Saeng (Summer 2002) 45-50.
  • Comment on the Celebici Case, 13 Leiden Journal of International Law (2000) 105-138.
  • The Crimes within the Jurisdiction of the ICC: (Part II, Articles 5 - 10), 6/4 European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice (1998) 377-399.
  • First Indictments of the ICTR, 18 Human Rights Law Journal (1997) 329-340.
  • Commission of Experts on Rwanda and Creation of the ICTR 16 Human Rights Law Journal (1995) 121-124.
                                                                          Selected Reports for the United Nations / European Union / NHRIs
  • A Critical Appraisal of Laws relating to Sexual Offences in Bangladesh (with Kawser Ahmed) 2015, 48 p.
  • Bangladesh NHRC reports - UN Committees on Torture / Rights of the Child (with Kawser Ahmed) 2013-2015.
  • Report of Bangladesh NHRC to CEDAW on the Govt’s 2015 State Report 2015, 39 p.
  • Toolkit on Implementing UN Human Rights Recommendations and UPR, UNDP-Ankara, Turkey 2014. 119 p.
  • National Human Rights Institutions in Federal States for UNOHCHR, Geneva, May-July 2011, 85 p.
  • Final Report for 12th EU-NGO Human Rights Forum, 12-13 July 2010 in Brussels, Belgium, 92 p.
  • Expert Paper, 12th UN Crime Congress, April 2010; UN Doc. A/CONF.213/12 of 5 February 2010, 20 p.
  • In-Depth Study on the Linkages between Anti-Corruption and Human Rights for UNDP (2007) 59 pages.
  • Expert Background Paper on “Impunity as a Threat to Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law”, UNOHCHR Expert Seminar 28 February - 2 March 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland, 22 p.
  • UNOHCHR report on “Democracy and the Rule of Law”, UN Doc. E/CN.4/2005/58, 18 Mar 2005, 26 p.
  • Preliminary and Final UN Security Council Commission of Experts on Rwanda reports Nov and Dec 1994.