Deputy Secretary-General, on Genocide Prevention Day, Says ‘Never Again’ Promise Must Translate into Serious Action to End Hate Crimes, Human Rights Violations
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks on the observance of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, in New York today:
Ten years ago, I had the honour of serving as President of the General Assembly. At the 2005 Summit, an important theme was the link between the three major pillars of the United Nations’ work. The document adopted at the Summit recognized that there is no peace without development and no development without peace. And neither is possible without respect of human rights.
This interrelationship is fundamental for international cooperation and for the United Nations. It is also the foundation for dealing with the dark subject of today’s meeting.
Today marks the sixty-seventh anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Today is also the first-ever International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. This day was proclaimed by the General Assembly, when it unanimously adopted resolution 69/323. It is now an opportunity for us to come together to raise awareness of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the Convention’s role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, and to commemorate and honour the millions of victims of genocide.
In doing this, we must ask ourselves how we give meaning to a promise we have made but several times we have failed to keep: the promise of “never again”. Every time we repeat that phrase after a genocide, we, in fact, admit a monumental and shameful failure.
We owe a solemn and serious such pledge to those who have lost their lives to this, the most atrocious of crimes. We owe it to their families. We owe it to the survivors and the communities who carry the lasting physical and emotional scars from genocide.
This year, we have witnessed agonising suffering in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Mali and places too numerous to mention. Individuals and communities have been targeted because of their religious or ethnic identity in many cases, in other words simply because of whom they are, who they are born into.
Intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia are on the rise. The “us versus them” dynamics is taking hold, fed by systematic fear-mongering from terrorists and violent extremists. It is also important that democratic societies do not fall in the trap of such provocations to divide us as human beings.
The social fabric in many of our societies is fraying. Polarization and division are growing. This is how the seeds of uncontrollable violence are sown.
Hate speech, incitement and marginalization of the “other” — we must be aware that these abuses are serious early warning signs. Rights violations are the vibrations in the ground which we must register and listen to. If we do not pick up the first tremors in the ground, we may face earthquakes later — quakes which can bring societies crashing down.
We know that genocide does not just happen. It unfolds over time. It is systematic, it is planned; it is with precise targets. It can also grow roots and thrive outside conflict situations.
As international community and as world citizens, we must honour the victims of genocide by shoring up the defences of human dignity and by strengthening prevention, by mobilising also the good forces we have around us.
This is one of the main reasons why the Secretary-General has launched the Human Rights Up Front initiative. This effort is basically about getting the entire United Nations system to react early to take preventive action, as well as to show courage and commitment to United Nations principles while doing so.
The Human Rights Up Front initiative is in essence focused on preventing harm to large categories of people. It is based on principles laid down in the United Nations Charter and human rights instruments. It aims to bring about a change in mindset and culture, which will allow us to live up to these fundamental values and principles.
The obligation to prevent genocide is strongly anchored in international law. But it is also a political and moral responsibility. At the 2005 World Summit, all Member States endorsed the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
There has been much cooperation among States to provide assistance to populations exposed to today’s violent conflicts and for this we are grateful. But we must do much more to prevent such upheavals in the first place. Mass atrocities and genocide must no longer be looming threats or existential dangers for exposed groups in today’s world.
For the sake of history, for the sake of security and for the sake of humanity, we must protect all populations, wherever they are. And we must not let future generations bear the cost and shame of our inaction. Let us never again say “never again” without taking serious action to prevent the unspeakable affront to human dignity and life — genocide.