EU Statement – UN General Assembly: High-Level Meeting on the 10th Anniversary of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of Genocide

Madam President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Today, we honour the victims of genocide, and we reflect on the painful memories of atrocities - both on our own continent and beyond.

This year marks twenty years since States gathered at the 2005 United Nations World Summit and unanimously adopted the Responsibility to Protect principle – in short: R2P. We all agreed that each State has the primary responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, that the wider international community has the collective responsibility to encourage and assist States in meeting this commitment, and that if a State manifestly fails to protect its population, the international community must be prepared to take appropriate collective action in accordance with the UN Charter. 

This anniversary is an opportunity to reaffirm and strengthen our collective commitment to R2P. Genocide and other crimes under international law must face punishment. Victims deserve justice, always and everywhere, and further work is needed to translate our commitments into effective action to prevent and respond to mass atrocity crimes. Atrocity crimes are not abstract: behind every statistic are real people. Those who have lost their lives, families that have been torn apart, survivors who continue to carry the weight of memory, and societies whose citizens are in danger of facing new atrocities if the wounds of old ones are not effectively addressed and healed.

The crime of genocide never comes out of thin air. There are always warning signs before it unfolds. Early signs may manifest as rising nationalism, hate speech, xenophobia, or racism. But they always have one element in common: dehumanisation of “the other”. The proper identification of early signs and a prompt reaction to them is an important step towards preventing genocide.

The spread of hatred and dehumanisation has been dramatically multiplied in the digital world. As noted by the Secretary General in his latest report on R2P, digital technologies have the potential to enhance the capacity to anticipate and respond to atrocity crimes, and tech companies have an important responsibility in this regard.

Human rights are central to the European Union’s policies, and the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes forms an integral part of the EU's common foreign and security policy. The EU remains dedicated to upholding its international obligations, particularly those related to the prevention and punishment of incitement to genocide, as outlined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Today’s commemoration reminds us that behind every act of remembrance stands an obligation to preserve the dignity of victims and to prevent such crimes from recurring, and in particular that the prohibition of genocide and the duty to prevent it are obligations erga omnes and demand proactive, sustained action.

The UN Genocide Convention also entails the obligation to punish genocide. Ending impunity requires promoting and supporting independent and impartial tribunals. In this regard, the EU reaffirms its unwavering support for the International Court of Justice and the international criminal justice system, including the International Criminal Court. The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN, and its orders are binding on the parties to cases before it. Disregarding it undermines the international legal order and the UN at its core.

Madam President,

If we are to fulfil the promise of “never again”, we must rise to the challenge. Remembering all those who have suffered from this heinous crime, let us reaffirm our shared commitment to safeguarding human dignity and to preventing crimes of genocide from ever occurring again, including by committing to promoting reconciliation and to holding perpetrators accountable.

Thank you.