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Mr. President,

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

At the 2005 World Summit, UN Member States unanimously agreed on the international community’s responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.  This is a primary responsibility of an individual Member State but at the same time, shared by all of us.  Progress has been achieved since then; however, a lot remains to be done and – in the current global context – part of the progress risks being reversed.  Today, millions of persons belonging to ethnic or religious groups are forcibly displaced, fleeing violence targeted against them which is often tolerated or – worse – orchestrated by State actors.  In other cases, systematic incarcerations and repressions of persons belonging to ethnic or religious communities, as well as attacks on their cultural heritage, are intrinsically targeting their identity and can consequently constitute a threat to their right to exist as a group.

The European Union therefore welcomes this fourth formal UNGA debate on the Responsibility to Protect.  As the world is undergoing a period of transformation through the Covid-19 pandemic and the global response to it, a strengthened multilateralism needs to deliver first and foremost for persons in the most vulnerable situations, including those under potential threat of atrocity crimes. As the Secretary-General’s latest report on R2P notes, the pandemic “has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and created new protection challenges”. Conducts that create conditions for atrocity behaviours, such as stigmatisation, hate speech, xenophobia, violence against minorities, and violations and abuses of human rights in general, are on the rise.  Moreover, rising gender inequality is in itself linked to further risks of increased patterns of violence and atrocity crimes.

While we recover from the pandemic and aim to build stronger and more resilient societies, continuing to operationalise the Responsibility to Protect also means tackling the underlying causes that can provide fertile ground for atrocity mindsets to grow.  Prioritising prevention, which the Secretary-General calls “as critical as ever”, requires a holistic approach and a renewed emphasis on strengthening the global protection of human rights.

In the European Union, through the 2020-2024 Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy for example, we work to combat intolerance, harassment, and violence based on ethnic origin, religion or belief.  The EU’s Framework Decision on Combatting Racism and Xenophobia criminalises public incitement to violence or hatred, including online.

Just as strengthening protection and respect for human rights is critical as part of preventing atrocity crimes, so is gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. Women, Peace and Security, including advocating a more meaningful participation of women in peace processes and in UN peace operations and EU missions and operations is one of the priorities of the EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Crisis Management.

We also have to learn from our past and act while we can.  We cannot let geopolitical divides come in the way of protecting people who testify to possible war crimes and crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings and other serious human rights violations and abuses.  Effective legal tools, policies, and structures and the advancement of transitional justice can contribute to the prevention of mass atrocities.

The “European Network of contact points in respect of persons responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes” contributes to ensure a close cooperation between national authorities in investigating and prosecuting the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes.  The EU also stands ready to assist third countries regarding accountability for atrocity crimes in line with the responsibility to protect.    

In this context, the EU and its Member States stress the important role and contribution of the International Criminal Court as key institution of international criminal justice. We actively promote the universality of the Rome Statute and, through our support for the International Criminal Court, we foster capacities for accountability and reconciliation, which are key elements for non-recurrence. We encourage the Security Council to consider carefully the possibility offered by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to refer situations to the Prosecutor.

R2P forms an integral part of the EU’s foreign and security policy and prevention is a key priority.  The EU and its Member States use conflict analysis tools and the EU Early Warning System to identify R2P issues and work for early action.  The EU Toolkit on R2P and Atrocity Prevention offers practical guidance on atrocity prevention to EU delegations, missions, and operations and is a concrete step towards integrating R2P into relevant activities on the ground.  The EU supports the strengthening of early warning and prevention mechanisms within the United Nations system, and stands ready to provide support in this regard. The EU and Member States have designated special Focal Points to advance the implementation of R2P in capitals and across administrations.

The EU remains a strong supporter of the work of both Special Advisers and supports the Joint Office politically, but also very concretely through financial assistance.  We also work closely with the Office, including in capacity training for EU Delegations and EU Member States. We welcome the report as it provides a helpful summary of the important capacity building carried out by the Joint Office. We call on the Office and both Special Advisers to strengthen their efforts to assist UN Member States and UN organs with timely and concrete advice on emerging atrocity risks and recommendations on how to address them.

Mr President

More than 15 years since the World Summit, the challenge of preventing atrocity crimes remains real and present.  It is incumbent upon all of us, as the international community, to protect the world’s populations.  In this respect, we welcome initiatives aimed at ensuring that the Security Council is able to effectively prevent or act in situations of mass atrocities, including the French-Mexican initiative on the use of veto in case of mass atrocities.

The EU and EU Member States, working together with the UN and partners around the globe, will continue to support effective and operational action on R2P at the UN.  We therefore welcome the draft resolution on the Responsibility to Protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, considered by this Assembly today. All EU Member States have co-sponsored it. We call upon all Member States to vote in favor when action is taken on the resolution.

The European Union, born, like the United Nations, from the ashes of the Second World War, has the protection of people from such atrocities as its raison d’être. That is why, the EU believes that, until the day when we are collectively satisfied that we have achieved full protection from atrocity crimes for the world’s populations, the General Assembly should continue considering R2P and its implementation as a standing item on its agenda.

Thank you, Mr President.