In his first interview since taking office in August, Chaloka Beyani discussed the origins of his mandate, created by the UN. Security Council following the genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica, and drew sobering parallels with the crises unfolding today.
“We are witnessing massive violations of international human rights law, direct attacks against civilians and blatant disregard for international humanitarian law,” Mr. Beyani said. UN News recently. “The risk of atrocities, and the reality of atrocities, is very, very high. »
He cited the worsening violence in Sudan as one of the most urgent examples. The Darfur conflict, which a UN commission first investigated in the 1990s, continues to grow decades later. “Nothing has changed,” he said. “The fall of the civilian government has only exacerbated the crisis. »
Families fleeing violence in Darfur arrive at a camp for displaced people.
Early warning system
The Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect functions as an early warning system within the UN. It alerts the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the United Nations system as a whole – in that order – when a risk of atrocity crimes, including genocide, is detected.
Building on the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and legal opinions on genocide-related court cases, the Office monitors and analyzes 14 factors ranging from armed conflicts involving ethnic or religious groups to hate speech and the breakdown of the rule of law, among others.
Greek prefix genos (people, race or tribe) and Latin suffix cide (murder)
According to international law, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such:*
- Killing party members
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
- Deliberately subjecting the group to conditions of existence likely to result in its physical destruction in whole or in part
- Impose measures intended to prevent births within the group
- Forcibly transfer children from the group to another group
*Article II of the Genocide Convention.
When these risks present a violent trend, Mr. Beyani issues advice and coordinates responses with UN officials, maintaining close ties with regional organizations such as the African Union and the European Union, as well as other international mechanisms.
“Once our Office sounds the alarm, it signals that the threshold is about to be crossed,” he said.
“Our role is not to determine genocide but to prevent it,” stressed Mr. Beyani, stressing that his Office relies on international courts to determine whether the crime has been committed.
Break the silence
The Special Adviser also highlighted the important role of courts and justice in protecting vulnerable people.
“The only thing you want to do in the context of combating atrocities is to make those who participate in conflicts aware that they are being watched and monitored,” Mr. Beyani said.
An example is the International Criminal CourtIt is conviction of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga in 2012 for recruiting child soldiers. This led other warlords to publicly denounce child recruitment.
He also referred to the International Court of Justice provisional measures issued under the obligation to prevent genocide in the context of the application of the Genocide Convention in Gaza, in the case of South Africa against Israel.
Among other cases, the ICJ will hear the full case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar next year, also on the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“Prevention involves accountability,” said the Special Adviser.
Governments and internet companies are failing to address the challenges of online hate.
Emerging threats
Among the emerging threats monitored by Mr. Beyani’s office are disinformation and hate speech. His office works with tech companies like Meta and Google to combat incitement to hatred online, and with faith and community leaders to counter hate speech at the local level.
Environmental degradation and climate change are also becoming catalysts for conflict. He said the Security Council was right to view environmental degradation as a security risk, as it did in a debate on November 6: “We see tensions over resources, from the Sahel to small island states at risk of submergence. Climate change itself is not causal, but it amplifies other risk factors.”
The advisor noted that indigenous communities, often targeted in conflicts over land and natural resources, are among the groups most in need of protection. “Extractive industries and deliberate actions against them expose them to enormous risks,” he said. “Their identity and way of life make them particularly vulnerable. »
Despite the seriousness of his mandate, the Special Adviser remains focused on diplomacy and prevention rather than public condemnation. “This Office was designed to engage discreetly, advise the Secretary-General and the Security Council and make public statements when necessary,” he explained. “States see it as a threat in certain respects. »
Looking ahead, the Special Adviser stressed that prevention requires as much memory as action.
“Commemorating past genocides reminds us of the UN’s founding promise of ‘never again’ and the basis on which the Genocide Convention rests,” he said, highlighting preparations for the International Day of Remembrance and Dignity for the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of This Crime on December 9. “But memory alone is not enough. We must strengthen our tools, build trust and act early.”
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
