Remember the Victims, Prevent Genocide

NEW YORK — In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. The 9th of December is the anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).

The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims.

In adopting the resolution, without a vote, the 193-member Assembly reiterated the responsibility of each individual State to protect its populations from genocide, which entails the prevention of such a crime, including incitement to it.

On this occasion an observance organized by the President of the General Assembly, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations, and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect will be held on Wednesday, 9 December 2015, 1:15 to 2:45 p.m., at the UN New York Headquarter Trusteeship Council Chamber.

Welcoming remarks will be delivered by: Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations.

Keynote speech by: Adama Dieng, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide

Panelists are:
Pablo de Greiff, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence
David Tolbert, President of the International Center for Transitional Justice
Elisa Von Joeden-Forgey, Assistant Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Stockton University

The observance will conclude with a musical performances by the UNSRC Symphony Orchestra (Johann Sebastian Bach: ‘Air’; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’)