Past Observances
2023
A Living Force in World Society: The Legacy of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
The 2023 high-level commemoration of 9 December / International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime was held at the 51³Ô¹Ï Headquarters. The activities on December 9th were headlined by ten distinguished and highly eminent experts on the prevention of genocide, and served as a culmination of sustained advocacy and a series of expert discussions which unpacked the legacy of the 75 years of the Genocide Convention.
The solemn commemoration started with a minute of silence honoring victims of genocide across the world. Three dedicated panels reflected on the impact of the Convention in the areas of accountability, prevention, and memory ¨C while looking ahead at steps needed to strengthen its ratification and universal and unequivocal implementation.
The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu highlighted the important achievements of the Genocide Convention, including its critical contribution in shaping the international criminal law framework we have today. However: ¡°Across the world genocide remains a real risk for populations...it requires all of us to take the steps needed to make the Genocide Convention a reality ¨C to make it a living force in society, the way Raphael Lemkin hoped it would be¡±. Whether or not Member States have ratified the Convention, they are bound by the principle that genocide is a crime under international law, and they have an obligation to prevent and punish it.
The event also unveiled the 2023 Raphael Lemkin Champions of Prevention. They are men, women and youth, members of civil society organizations, as well as survivors of past genocides or other international crimes, who believe, like Raphael Lemkin did, that as individuals we all have a role to play in building a world free from genocidal and related violence. .
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2022
The role of sports in atrocity prevention
This year¡¯s event was held on 9 December 2022 and it was dedicated to the role of sports in promoting peace and inclusion, by countering hate speech and championing the prevention of atrocity crimes. The event launched the Plan of Action to Counter Hate Speech through Engagement with Sports, the GAME PLAN, developed by the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide in collaboration with the Eradicate Hate Global Summit. The document provides recommendations of actions to identify and combat hate speech and promote positive messages through outreach initiatives, identification of success stories, and comprehensive training.
The event was held in person at the 51³Ô¹Ï Headquarters in New York at the Trusteeship Council Chambers. It was also and included opening remarks, followed by an interactive panel discussion.
Read the statements delivered at the high-level event launching the Game Plan.
Find the Game Plan in full.
2021
The voices of youth for a peaceful and inclusive world
This year's virtual event focused on the role of youth in promoting peace and preventing atrocity crimes. The high-level event, which included opening remarks by the Secretary-General, by the President of the General Assembly, and the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, highlighted specific positive examples of such actions in societies that have experienced atrocity crimes. This was done through a video showcasing the work of the youth representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda and Iraq, as well as with statements and panel discussions with youth representatives from those countries as well as Montenegro. The panel was moderated by the Secretary-General¡¯s Special Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake.
The event was .
2020
Justice, peace and prevention
At UN Headquarters, a special event to mark this day took place online on 9 December. The event, in line with the UN75 initiatives and commitments to promote peace and prevent conflicts, and the Secretary-General¡¯s call for a global ceasefire, and honouring the victims of genocide, aimed at listening to their voices and discussing the impact of international justice responses, including criminal justice and reparations, on empowering victims and preventing further atrocity crimes. International judges and experts also shared their experiences in granting justice for victims of genocide and related crimes, in the pursuit of peace and stability and preventing the recurrence of these crimes.
2019
On the 71st anniversary of the Convention against Genocide, the 51³Ô¹Ï highlighted ¡°Champions of Prevention¡±
This year¡¯s commemoration acknowledged the contributions of individuals from civil society, governments or international or regional organizations around the world, who have been developing initiatives that have critically contributed to the prevention of genocide and related crimes. They are called ¡°Champions of Prevention¡±.
A special event to mark the anniversary took place at 51³Ô¹Ï Headquarters in the ECOSOC Chamber on 9 December at 11:00 EST, featuring a panel discussion with ¡°Champions of Prevention¡± from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Myanmar and Tanzania, as well as a photo exhibition in the same location highlighting some of those ¡°Champion of Prevention¡± profiles.
The event was .
2018
On the 70th anniversary of the Convention against Genocide, USC Shoah Foundation demonstrated new technology for dialogue with survivors
To mark the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the 51³Ô¹Ï invited the USC Shoah Foundation to demonstrate ¡°Dimensions in Testimony,¡± an innovative interactive video experience that allows for real-time dialogue with survivors of genocide and other atrocity crimes and preserves survivors¡¯ legacies for future generations.
In a special event organized by the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide at 51³Ô¹Ï Headquarters on 7 December, Stephen D. Smith, Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation, demonstrated the pre-recorded interactive testimonies that enable people to ask questions and instantly receive responses from genocide survivors.
¡°The question before us today is how we use technology to uphold the values that are enshrined in the convention,¡± said Smith, referring to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, adopted on 9 December 1948. ¡°For certain it does not begin with high-performance computing and end with artificial intelligence. It begins with story and ends in empathy.¡±
The survivors featured in the presentation were two Holocaust survivors: Pinchas Gutter, who was the only member of his family to survive the German Majdanek concentration camp in Poland, and Eva Schloss, the last living relative of Anne Frank, a Holocaust victim who gained fame posthumously with the publication of her Diary of a Young Girl.
The demonstration was followed by an appearance by the real Pinchas Gutter, who received a standing ovation. In a conversation with Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng, Gutter said he joined the event for one main reason: to help make the hate stop. ¡°When I see today things which kind of remind me of what happened in the times of the five years that I spent under Nazi rule, I mean, it breaks my heart,¡± said Gutter, who is 86 years old and lives in Toronto, Canada.Presentation of Dimensions in Testimony by USC Shoah Foundation: An innovative interactive video experience that allows for real-time dialogue with survivors of genocide and other atrocity crimes
2017
The observance focused on how the Convention came about and the important role it has played for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, and the international criminal justice. It also launched a one-year appeal for the universal .
2016
The observance focused on the role of national/international actors on prevention of Genocide: how educating about genocide and memorializing those, who perished as a result of this crime, contributes to the prevention of the crime of genocide; how the international community can contribute to the prevention of this crime through commitment to and enhancing accountability measures and the fight against impunity.
2015
The inaugural observance focused on the prevention of genocide through education and memorialisation: the protection of the rights of victims of genocide and the prevention of future crimes; challenges and opportunities on advancing justice for cases of genocide through national justice mechanisms.