Statement by H.E. Mher Margaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN, at the UNGA73 Plenary Meeting/Item 168: The Responsibility to Protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity

27 June, 2019

Mr. President,

We would like to thank the Secretary General for his report on the R2P with the special focus on lessons learned for prevention.
The report identifies the principle areas where timely action and constructive engagement can facilitate the prevention of atrocity crimes. Addressing the underlying sources of past atrocity crimes and focusing on truth, justice and reparations is paramount in this regards.

Armenia remains strongly committed to advancing prevention of mass atrocities and the crime of genocide, as well as identity-based discrimination against all groups and peoples. Countering hate speech as one of the early warning signs, which may lead to incitement of violence, should be an integral part of the prevention mechanisms. We need to join efforts to develop a workable set of actions with the human rights based approach in mind to promote tolerance as an essential step on the way to more inclusive societies. In this regard, we welcome the recent initiative of the UNSG to launch the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech elaborated by the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide.

Nowadays, we continue to witness the spreading of hate speech, racial and ethnic profiling, glorification of hate crimes, denial and justification of past atrocities, including the crime of genocide. It is especially deplorable in cases when the odious policies of denialism, offence to the dignity and memory of the victims of genocide are led and encouraged by public figures and high state officials.

Such denials and justification manifest flagrant subversion of the fight against impunity for atrocity crimes. They undermine the important efforts of the international community to prevent situations in which the crime of genocide could be committed.

Mr. President,

We believe educational and cultural institutions, together with civil society and faith based organizations have a greater role to play for understanding perceptions and ideas around the prevention as a concept.

Since 2015 Armenia has hosted the Global Forum against the Crime of Genocide. The 3rd Yerevan Global Forum which took place in December 2018 was organized with the support of the UNOSAPG in cooperation with the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), and was dedicated to prevention through education, culture and memorialization.

Mr. President,

Prevention is not and has never been a simple process, as very often neither societies nor the international institutions are fully prepared to identify early warning signs and assess the risks to full extent.

Armenia attaches great importance to a universal ratification and comprehensive observance of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and we view education as a tool for contributing to awareness-raising of past genocides and promoting the right to truth.
We have been at the forefront of international efforts to prevent and counter identity-based hate crimes, including the crime of genocide. Armenia has traditionally sponsored resolutions relating to this issue, having introduced the first resolution at the Commission on Human Rights back in 1998. Subsequently, the scope and the substance of the resolutions introduced at the Human Rights Council on the subject have been fundamentally enriched.

The adoption of the UNGA resolution designating the 9th of December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime in 2015 was a landmark achievement in this regard. The most recent resolution, entitled “Prevention of genocide” initiated by Armenia and unanimously adopted by the HRC in March 2018, draws the attention of the international community to the issue of early warning in situations that can lead to genocide, highlighting the importance of education, regional and sub regional cooperation for prevention and the accountability of perpetrators.
Within the Human Rights Council, among our priorities will be fostering cooperation for prevention of genocides and mass atrocities and the further development of national and international early warning mechanisms.

Mr. President,

We also acknowledge certain differences of opinions when it comes to the definition and interpretation of the concept of “Responsibility to protect”, especially given its multi-dimensional nature.
At the same time, this divergence in approaches should not hinder the responsibility and commitment towards the core values, norms and principles that the United Nations is built upon. The need for open conversation on most serious violations of human rights that can lead to genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity is still very pertinent.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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