On 20 January 2020, REDRESS and 12 other NGOs including FIDH, ECCHR, the International Commission for Jurists and Amnesty International sent a joint Letter to the Core Group and Co-Sponsoring States of the initiative for the creation of a new multilateral treaty on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes (Mutual Legal Assistance Initiative). The letter was sent in advance of the Informal Consultations that will be held in The Hague, next week, between 27-29 January 2020. The main issues we address relate to (1) the scope of the draft treaty – the crimes of torture and enforced disappearance which should be included in the main draft treaty as stand-alone crimes and not just as crimes against humanity or war crimes; (2) an enhanced role for victims and their rights; and (3) clarifying issues relating to asset recovery and disposal.