June 2019

NEWS FROM GAAMAC

a) Check out the latest video on GAAMAC’s community of commitment!

b) Introducing our newest partners

Three organizations from the civil society have recently joined GAAMAC as partners.

CGNK and PCRC are both contributing to the ongoing Kolo: Women’s Cross Cultural Collaboration 2nd "International Women’s Summit on Nonkilling Cultures” from 19 to 25 June 2019 in Sarajevo, CGNK as co-sponsor of the Summit and PCRC hosting a panel discussion on the essential role of women in projects aimed at reconciliation during the day dedicated to restorative justice.

c) The Central African Republic National Committee on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and other Atrocity Crimes convened a training seminar in Bangui (version en français plus bas) on the Africa Working Group “Manual on Best Practices for the Establishment and Management of National Mechanisms for Genocide and Mass Atrocities Prevention” on 31 May 2019. This event aimed to disseminate and raise awareness on the Manual among members of the National Committee and among other public actors, human rights activists and academics. The Manual is currently available in English and in French on our website. The Spanish version will come out soon!

UPDATES FROM STEERING GROUP MEMBERS

a) The report on the panel discussion “Reflecting upon over 70 years of the Genocide Convention: Challenges and ways forward in atrocity prevention” is now available on GAAMAC’s website.

The event, co-hosted by GAAMAC Steering Group members Argentina, Costa Rica, Denmark, Switzerland, Tanzania, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, was held on 11 April 2019 in Geneva. The report provides a synthesis of the main points that were discussed during the afternoon. In particular, the panelists shared their experiences and reflections on atrocity prevention and sustainable transition to peace through different lenses:

• Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi focused on transitional and international justice;
• Iniyan Ilango touched upon economic, social and cultural rights and Geneva-based human rights mechanisms;
• Wichert ten Have talked about holocaust education and remembrance;
• Felistas Mushi spoke about the implementation of National Prevention Mechanisms by way of the example of Tanzania.

b) The Permanent Missions of Botswana and Canada, and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect convened an event on “Women, Peace and Security and the Responsibility to Protect” on 17 June 2019 in Geneva. Both the emergence of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, as well as the international norm of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), have transformed dialogues on human rights and the maintenance of international peace and security over the past two decades. Two panel discussions explored how to bring together the two protection agendas and strengthen the integration of gender into R2P policies, strategies and practices. Their approach aimed to go beyond the limited focus on women as victims, and instead focused also on how to support women as powerful and effective agents of change who can contribute to both preventive and responsive strategies regarding atrocities.

c) In a publication released on 17 June 2019, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect provides a summary of the advanced unedited version of the United Nations Secretary-General 2019 report on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), entitled "Responsibility to Protect: Lessons Learned for Prevention". The report takes stock of good practices since the adoption of R2P at the 2005 World Summit to underline a range of measures that the international community and individual states can take to strengthen preventive efforts, and to offer a number of practical policy suggestions. In stressing the important role of prevention, the report also serves as a call to action for member states and international institutions. The United Nations General Assembly will conduct a plenary meeting on the "Responsibility to Protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity" this coming 27 June.

UPDATES FROM PARTNERS

a) The 2019 program of the War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Academy will take place from 8 to 13 July in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Academy is a multidisciplinary educational and training program organized by GAMMAC’s new partner the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) and WARM Foundation during which world-class practitioners, academics, artists, and experts from the fields of media, transitional justice, historical memory preservation, journalism, art, violence prevention and human rights deliver a series of masterclasses, workshops and interactive discussions. In joining this program, participants are given the opportunity to examine a variety of contemporary conflict and post-conflict themes and topics, and to attend site visits in emblematic locations in the area of Sarajevo.

b) The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) hosted a webinar entitled “Women in War: Stopping Sexual Violence in Conflict” on 29 May 2019, with contributions from Ms. Akila Radhakrishnan (Global Justice Center), Mr. Andreas Glossner (Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations), and ICSC’s representatives Ms. Milica Kostic, Ms. Ereshnee Naidu-Silverman and Ms. Elizabeth Silkes. Participants from all over the world connected to this online event centered around the adoption of the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2467 on Women, Peace and Security this past 23 April. Panelists pointed out areas where important progresses were made, underlining also the equally important next steps that need to be taken. They shared concrete examples from situations at grassroot level, to feed the reflection on what can be done to guarantee that perpetrators are held accountable, that survivors’ needs are met through a holistic range of practical and sustainable support, and that NGOs, activists and other allies can equip women with the training and networks they need to be active leaders on this issue. Watch the webinar here.

c) The 7th International Festival of Docufilms on Liberation and Human Rights was held from 18 to 22 April 2019 in Dhaka. This Festival is dedicated to documentary cinema, seeking to highlight the struggle for liberation and human rights of people in various parts of the world and its contemporary significance. It is organized each year by the Liberation War Museum, a peoples’ museum dedicated to highlight the history of Bangladesh’s struggle for Independence and its presentation to new generations. This year, the competitive National Section focused on “Documenting 1971 and beyond”, and the program included a Special Focus on Rohingya Persecution. A workshop on “Documenting Mass Atrocity: Survivor’s Testimony” was organized in collaboration with the University of South California Shoah Foundation. Furthermore, the Festival featured a series of workshops for youth and for young Bangladeshi filmmakers.

d) The Global Justice Center held the first Global Justice Awards ceremony on 14 May 2019 in New York, celebrating the achievement of landmark victories for women around the world. This year’s program honored Ms. Patricia Viseur Sellers, Special Advisor on Gender to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford with the Janet Benshoof Global Justice Award. Learn more about the 2019 Honorees here.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ATROCITY PREVENTION

a) In a recent piece published by the Universal Rights Group Geneva, Executive Director Marc Limon senses a shift towards a more prevention-oriented future for the United Nations (UN) human rights pillar. Unpacking the press release issued in conclusion of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Michelle Bachelet’s mission to Cameroon, Mark Limon demonstrates how her speech emphasized on a preventive mind-set. More broadly, this article comes two months after the first Intersessional seminar on the contribution of the Human Rights Council to the prevention of human rights violations was held in Geneva.

b) On 18 June 2019, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech. The purpose of the Strategy is to expand the understanding of the impact of hate speech among UN entities, with the aim to enhance UN efforts to address root causes and drivers of hate speech, and to enable effective UN responses to its impact on societies. In his remarks, Mr. Guterres declared that “addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous, particularly incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, which is prohibited under international law. […] This will not only prevent it from escalating. It will support progress across our entire agenda, from preventing conflict and terrorism, to ending violence against women and other serious violations of human rights, to building peaceful and resilient societies”.

Mr. Guterres designated his Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Mr. Adama Dieng as Focal Point for the implementation of the Strategy and Plan of Action. In this capacity, Mr. Dieng will oversee and facilitate the development of more specific guidance on the implementation process.

c) In a video released in the wake of the Paris Summit held on 15 May 2019, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern takes stock of the Christchurch Call plan of action to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.

d) Two significant documents in relation to transitional justice in Africa were launched officially during the 64th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights that was held from 24 April to 14 May 2019 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt:

• The “African Union Transitional Justice Policy” (AUTJP) adopted by the Heads of State and Government earlier this year at the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in February in Ethiopia and;
• The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ “Study on Transitional Justice on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa” adopted during the 24th Extra-Ordinary Session in July 2018. This study aims at guiding the Commission in applying a transitional justice lens to its protective and promotional mandate, and thereby at assisting states in the design and implementation of transitional justice processes in compliance with the standards of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

e) On the 4th annual European Union (EU)’s day against impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes on 23 May 2019, Eurojust issued a press release underlining the stark increase in the number of investigations regarding genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by EU Member states over the last three years. Eurojust’s President Mr. Ladislav Hamran declared that “it is very encouraging to see that EU Member States are increasingly taking up their responsibilities and prioritizing prosecution of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The EU is an area of security and justice and we cannot and will not be a safe haven for whoever has committed these atrocities anywhere in the world”. Eurojust is hosting the European Network for investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and its Secretariat.

f) At the end of April, the Task Force on Justice released its "Justice for All" report. The Task Force is an initiative of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, co-chaired by Argentina, the Netherlands, Sierra Leone, and The Elders. In this publication exploring the Sustainable Development Goals’ targets regarding justice, the Task Force provides a first estimate of the global justice gap. It further makes the case for shifting from a model that provides justice only for the few, to one that delivers measurable improvements in justice for all. Chapter 4 is addressing the issue of injustice with a prevention lens. It also underscores how lessons learned from transitional justice could serve justice sector reform.

g) The Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation is hosting a pavilion during the International Art Exhibition Biennale Arte 2019 taking place from 11 May to 24 November 2019 in Venice, Italy. Artivism is a unique project at the intersection between art, human rights and genocide prevention, and illustrates how the arts can be used as mechanism for preventing and responding to mass violence. The exhibition features works by six artists and activist collectives from around the world who have been confronted with political violence and have been using arts as a tool for understanding conflict and cultivating social transformation.