Genocide is a heinous act and a horrific crime, and it is the formal obligation of all states to prevent and punish genocide – states the message of the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance and Dignity in Memory of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of Genocide.
It is added that this is a promise that the world made by adopting the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948 – a promise that no group will be faced with the risk of extermination on account of its nationality, ethnicity, race or religion.
“Never again”
“We made the promise of “never again”. Yet that promise is too often too close to being broken. Violent conflicts, lack of accountability and digital technologies that deepen hatred and disinformation enable the reemergence of threats of genocide.
States bear the primary obligation to prevent and punish genocide, and I call on governments that have not yet done so to accede to the Convention. I also call on all governments to fully implement the Convention and ensure accountability for perpetrators,” Guterres said.
Prevention is a shared responsibility
But, he added, prevention is a shared responsibility.
Prevention requires educating new generations about the factors that lead to genocide, including hate speech, inequality, and disinformation and manipulation of information. At the same time, it means doing everything possible to recognize early warning signs and sound the alarm in a timely manner. Community leaders, civil society, and the media, including social media platforms, all have a moral duty to act.
“By standing together against this heinous crime, we honor its victims and survivors and reaffirm the most fundamental promise of our international community: the right of all people to live in security, dignity, and peace,” the message from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reads, the UN in BiH announced.
