Statement on International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime delivered by H.E. Harald Braun, Vice-President of the ĢƵ General Assembly and Permanent Representative of Germany
9 December 2016
H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the President of the General Assembly.
I am pleased to mark the ‘International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime’.
I thank the ĢƵ Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Adama Dieng, for organising today’s event.
I regret that other ĢƵ responsibilities prevent me from joining you.
Today – the 9th of December – we commemorate the 68th Anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
And we also mark the second ‘International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime’.
The decision last year by the General Assembly to establish this International Day was an important step in our collective efforts: to commemorate those who have suffered the most horrific of human rights violations; to reflect on our past failings that led to these tragedies; and in honour of the memory of victims, to recommit to the promise of ‘never again’.
‘Never again’ calls on all of us to act.
It requires that we enhance our work and build our capabilities to prevent future atrocities.
It requires that we ensure justice and accountability for perpetrators of international crimes, and bring an end to the culture of impunity that has plagued so many post-conflict settings.
And it requires that we commit to the long and challenging process of national reconciliation and the consolidation of peace, by building a common and inclusive vision of society.
Excellencies
It is a fitting parallel that today we mark International Human Rights Day.
Robust human rights protections are one of our most important defences against the stoking of conditions that enable mass atrocity crimes to occur.
We must therefore ensure that the promotion and protection of human rights are central to our efforts to prevent future violations.
Excellencies
Human rights, peace and security, and sustainable development, are all interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development places universal respect for human rights at the centre of our global efforts to transform our world, for people, planet and prosperity.
Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals must therefore be seen as an important tool in our efforts to sustain peace, promote rule of law, ensure accountability, and to build conditions that can help to prevent past horrors from occurring once again.
For all of this to be achieved, we must invest in creating peaceful and inclusive societies.
We must strengthen democracy, build robust national judicial and human rights institutions, ensure good governance, and uphold the rule of law.
We must embrace pluralism and diversity.
We must enhance our work to end discrimination, inequality, racism and xenophobia in our societies.
We must unequivocally condemn all forms of intolerance, including anti-Semitism.
And we must act at the earliest signs that a mass atrocity crime may be imminent.
We here in the General Assembly have a particular responsibility to uphold the highest moral standards and to act accordingly – both collectively and individually.
Excellencies
In closing, it is imperative that the international community scale up its efforts to ensure that it is able to respond swiftly to prevent genocide and mass atrocity crimes.
And when we see – as we do now – gross violations of human rights and humanitarian law taking place across our world, we must take decisive action to deliver on our promise ‘never again’.
The lives of so many depend on us.