Concept Note
Fifth Global Forum
Against the Crime of Genocide
December 12-13, 2024, Yerevan<
(Concept Note)
STRENGTHENING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNATIONAL MECHANISMS FOR EARLY WARNING AND EARLY RESPONSE TO THE RISK OF GENOCIDE AND OTHER ATROCITY CRIMES
Background and purpose
Genocide and other mass atrocities are heinous crimes that can be prevented, if properly detected in a timely manner. There are warning signs and common risk factors, both structural and dynamic, that can lead to or enable the commission of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Once the risk factors are identified, it will be possible to determine measures that should be taken by States and the international community to reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of atrocity crimes.
Meanwhile, the tragic events of recent years show that even when risk factors of genocide and other atrocity crimes are identified, international mechanisms are often lacking or unable to provide a timely and adequate response.
Today, the world is faced with many dangerous trends that can lead to mass atrocities, among them attempts to resolve outstanding issues by use of force.
The cycle of violence and inhumane acts includes but is not limited to, the denial of international humanitarian access and presence on the ground, imposition of blockades, sieges, starvation as a method of warfare, forced displacement and other gross human rights violations.
All of the above manifests not only gross violation of international law and international humanitarian law, but also the deepening crisis in the multilateral system, both in its normative foundations and operational capacity.
The challenges that multilateralism faces are becoming increasingly visible, ranging from its failure to deal with global threats, to its incapacity to address and prevent genocide and other atrocity crimes.
There is prima facie evidence that better early warning leads to a more effective UN response to impending atrocities.
The evolution of increasingly sophisticated UN mechanisms on early warning runs in parallel to failures, starting with the Rwandan genocide in 1994, which significantly influenced efforts to develop more effective mechanisms.
The establishment of the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (OSAPG) in 2004 marked the shift towards early warning of atrocities more specifically. In 2009 the OSAPG developed an analytical framework for genocide risk, becoming more tailored towards atrocity crimes.
Early warning contains three components: gathering information, analyzing information, and communicating this information to decision-makers to enable early response.
The UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and as such it should consider ways to better utilize the tools at its disposal to prevent atrocity crimes and strengthen international accountability for such crimes. UN peacekeeping operations are the largest and most visible contributions of the UN system aimed at translating early warning into early action.
The UN Secretary-General and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights can significantly contribute to early warning efforts and can play an important preventive role through rapid deployment capabilities and fact-finding missions, that may also deescalate tensions. The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, UN treaty bodies and the special procedure mandate holders are among the indispensable stakeholders in identifying the early warning signs of genocide and other atrocity crimes.
The 2024 UN Human Rights Council Resolution on the Prevention of Genocide emphasizes that early warning should be linked to the prevention of genocide. It also requested the Secretary-General to prepare a follow-up report and recommendations based on information provided by States and other stakeholders particularly focused on early warning and genocide prevention. In this regard, the current Global Forum is well placed to generate information and policy recommendations that can contribute to the preparation of the said report.
The 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide will elaborate on the challenges of early warning and timely action and the ways to strengthen the effectiveness of international mechanisms in addressing the risks of genocide and other atrocity crimes.
It will reflect on the global role of the UN through their bodies (Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council, International Court of Justice) in preventing mass atrocities and will focus on the contribution of other international organizations, as well as the regional arrangements and structures to the genocide prevention agenda. In the past decades, conflict risk analysis as a significant element in assessment of the risks of the perpetration of genocide has been included on the agenda of the European Union, African Union, OSCE as well as a number of international non-governmental organizations (International Alert, International Crisis Group), state-led networks, civil society, and academic institutions.
The Forum will also explore the possibilities of national contributions to the early warning and early reaction efforts. The contribution of small states in this regard will be particularly highlighted to demonstrate that the international efforts for the prevention of the scourge of genocide require concerted and joint actions of all stakeholders, without any distinction when it comes to their size or capacity. Genocide prevention is a truly universal challenge that should be tackled through unity and synergy of efforts.
Participants
The conference will bring together representatives of States, international organizations, including current and former UN officials, regional arrangements, national human rights institutions, civil society, including the representatives of the international NGOs, media practitioners, academic experts, researchers and scholars.
Practical issues
The conference website will offer access to documents from current and previous global forums, as well as some practical information.
The 5th Global Forum will commence on December 12, 2024, and will be dedicated to the landmark Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime commemorated annually on December 9 as stipulated by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/323, initiated by Armenia.
The event is organized with the support of the Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide and in close cooperation with the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC).
Proposed Thematic Sessions
Day One (December 12, 2024)
Opening of the Forum. High-level segment.
The session will be open for addresses by high-level guests and dignitaries.
Plenary Session: Identification of warning signs and risk factors for genocide and other atrocity crimes and role of small states in promoting the genocide prevention agenda.
The session will focus on warning signs and common risk factors for genocide and other atrocities in the world, dangerous trends, and the cycle of violence and inhuman acts that can lead to atrocity crimes. At the same time, the session will highlight the contribution of small states to shaping the agenda for the prevention of genocide.
Panel one. Development of UN early warning mechanisms.
First Panel will look into past genocides and other atrocity crimes that prompted establishment and historical evolution of prevention mechanism and institutions.
Increasingly sophisticated early warning mechanisms have been developed over decades, in parallel to the failures of early warning in cases of mass atrocities.
What does an early warning system consist of and how does it work?
Panel Two. UN early response system: necessity to improve operational and policy coherence (cases of gross human rights violations against protected groups).
Second panel will examine UN early response tools (Security Council, OHCHR, peace operations, fact-finding missions) and their effectiveness in de-escalation of conflict situations. One of the important initiatives in this regard was the initiative calling on the permanent members of the Security Council to refrain from using the veto in the event of mass atrocities.
The participants will exchange views on the ways to protect racial, ethnic and religious groups from threats and eradication of racism and xenophobia. It will stress the role of criminal justice and accountability in the protection and promotion of human rights, underline the role and partnerships among diverse actors (Security Council, ICJ, ICC, human rights system, soft law mechanisms, civil society, media).
Day Two (December 13, 2024)
Panel Three. Other international actors: identification of risk factors of atrocity crimes and early action in cases where preventive measures may be required.
Third panel will focus on the activities of various international organizations, regional, sub regional, national and local actors as well as world’s advanced economies to prevent genocide and other atrocity crimes through concrete means such as monitoring, reporting, conflict prevention and resolution.
Fourth Panel will focus on flows and gaps in the international legal and policy framework and will examine emerging challenges and threats that lead to gross violations and the most serious international crimes, yet lack either codification (hate speech, siege, etc.) or comprehensive oversight and implementation (Geneva Conventions).
Special attention will be paid to the necessity of systematic study of the evolution and practice of mass atrocity early warning mechanisms, and the impact this has had on UN-led responses to imminent and unfolding cases of mass atrocity crimes.
Concluding Panel. The Forum will conclude with the Chair’s summary.
Concert dedicated to the 76 anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.