On December 9, the International Day of Commemoration and Genocide Convention, in New York, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan participated and delivered remarks at the high level meeting held at the initiative of Armenia within the framework of the plenary session of the UN General Assembly, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of This Crime.
Full remarks of the Deputy Foreign Minister are provided below.
"Your excellency Annalena Baerbock,
Excellences,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ten years ago, at the initiative of the Republic of Armenia, the General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution designating December 9 as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. From 2015, the day has signified not only the anniversary of the Genocide Convention, but has served as a collective tribute to the memory of victims, survivors and descendants of all genocides – those whose cases were adjudicated and those whose perpetrators never received justice. It is a collective tribute to millions of people whose names and accounts are documented and preserved and those whose stories were never told, whose burial sites are unknown, those who were never mourned. This day reminds us that our humanity is proven not by what we say after tragedies, but by what we do early, when there is still time to prevent them.
The resolution which mandated this high-level meeting called on Member States “to galvanize accelerated efforts on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide”. As violent conflicts, wars and atrocity crimes continue to unfold with alarming scale and severity, we need a thorough reflection on how the multilateral system, prevention mechanisms and international courts, states and other stakeholders address the mounting challenges of restoring peace, protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring accountability, non-recurrence and reconciliation. We must ensure that no early warning is ever met with inaction or indifference.
Madam President,
Armenia is strongly convinced that genocide prevention efforts should be grounded in systematic, institutionalised and coherent early warning and early action frameworks at local, regional and global levels. They need to be backed by solid legal, social and political mechanisms and supported with adequate resources.
There is a clear understanding of the risk factors that may lead to the commission of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. There is broad agreement, reflected among others in the resolutions adopted by this august body as well as by the Human Rights Council, that gross violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, incitement to violence and the spread of hate speech targeting protected groups should warrant a coordinated response. We know these risks; the real test is whether we act on them in time.
Next year, during the 61st session of the Human Rights Council Armenia will once again table the biennial resolution on the Prevention of Genocide. Throughout the years, the resolution has consolidated international consensus around the most pertinent issues, such as the dangers of genocide denial, responsibility of states, the importance of memorialisation and education, and the role of human rights mechanisms, civil society and the international justice system, including the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court. The resolution has greatly contributed to much needed synergy within the UN system by strengthening the link between the work of the Human Rights Council and the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. It has helped to build a shared language on prevention among UN Member States. Next year again, we look forward to constructive engagement by all Member States and consensual adoption of the only thematic resolution on genocide prevention. I would also like to reconfirm Armenia’s strong commitment to the universalization of ratification of the Genocide Convention.
Madam President,
Before Raphael Lemkin, one of the brightest figures of his time, defined the act of genocide, nationsand peoples subjected to this horrific crime gave it their own term, one that might be incomprehensible for others, one that did not have legal clarity, guarantees for punishment and restoring justice, but one that encompassed the enduring legacy of destruction, erasure and martyrdom. Today, 77 years after the “crime of the crimes” received its name, precise legal definition and dedicated global and regional institutions, courts and tribunals created for prevention and accountability, humanity still witnesses collective failure to protect, failure to confront those who assert the right to kill. Lemkin gave the world a definition; our shared challenge is to give that definition full meaning through action.
Madam President,
Genocide prevention has been at the center of Armenia’s multilateral agenda since our country regained its seat among sovereign nations. Today, we are fully determined to continue to accelerate actions, policies and partnerships to advance the cause of prevention, as a tribute to our past, as a duty towards victims of the ongoing wars and conflicts and as a promise for a future free from the odious scourge. Genocide prevention is not only a legal obligation; it is a test of our collective conscience. Let us ensure that “never again” becomes not a refrain of remembrance, but a principle of governance.
I thank you."
