Prevention of Genocide

A/HRC/RES/55/13View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2024.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2008–2026

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/61/23

2026A/HRC/RES/61/23Prevention of genocideLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/HRC/RES/55/13Prevention of genocideCompare with previous version
2022A/HRC/RES/49/9Prevention of genocideCompare with previous version
2020A/HRC/RES/43/29Prevention of genocideCompare with previous version
2018A/HRC/RES/37/26Prevention of genocideCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Early Warning Systems Genocide Prevention Human Rights Education Human Rights Monitoring International Cooperation Memorials

What does this mandate say?

45 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms the significance of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide as an effective international instrument for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide;

Reiterates the responsibility of each individual State to protect its population from genocide, which entails the prevention of such a crime, including incitement to it, through appropriate and necessary means;

Reaffirms that the right to life under article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a right from which no derogation is permitted under article 4 of that Covenant, even in public emergencies that threaten the life of the nation, and does not permit derogation from the obligations assumed under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;

Emphasizes that impunity is a significant risk factor for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and that it needs to be addressed by investigating allegations and prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators;

Recognizes the contribution that the Human Rights Council can make to the prevention of genocide, including through the mandate set out by the General Assembly in paragraph 5 (f) of its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006;

Calls upon all States to fully cooperate to this end with United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies;

Encourages States to build their capacity to prevent genocide through the development of individual expertise and the creation of appropriate offices within Governments to strengthen work on prevention;

Encourages States to consider the appointment of focal points on the prevention of genocide who could cooperate and exchange information and best practices among themselves and with the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, relevant United Nations bodies and regional and subregional mechanisms;

Expresses its appreciation to all States that have ratified or acceded to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and in particular to the State that has done so since the adoption by the Human Rights Council of its resolution 49/9, namely, Zambia;

Calls upon States that have not yet ratified or acceded to the Convention to consider doing so as a matter of high priority and, where necessary, to enact national legislation in conformity with the provisions of the Convention;

Stresses the importance of enhanced international cooperation, including through the United Nations system and regional organizations, aimed at fostering the principles enshrined in the Convention;

Calls upon all States, in order to deter future occurrences of genocide, to cooperate, including through the United Nations system, in strengthening appropriate collaboration among existing mechanisms that contribute to the early detection and prevention of massive, serious and systematic violations of human rights that, if not halted, could lead to genocide;

Recognizes the important role of the Secretary-General in contributing to the prompt consideration of cases of early warning or prevention, as mandated by the Security Council in its resolution 1366 (2001) of 30 August 2001, and the functions of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide who, in accordance with her mandate, collects existing information, in particular from within the United Nations system, liaises with the United Nations system on activities for the prevention of genocide and works to enhance the capacity of the United Nations to analyse and manage information relating to genocide or related crimes;

Requests all Governments to cooperate fully with the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide in the performance of her work, to furnish all relevant information requested and to react promptly to her urgent appeals;

Underlines the important role of the United Nations human rights system, including that of the Human Rights Council, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant special procedures and treaty bodies in addressing the challenge of collating information on massive, serious and systematic violations of human rights, thereby contributing to a better understanding and early warning of complex situations that might lead to genocide;

Reiterates the importance of its universal periodic review mechanism, which is an important instrument for advancing human rights, and invites States to include, where appropriate, information on the prevention of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in their national reports;

Urges all States to implement accepted universal periodic review recommendations relating to the prevention of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity;

Encourages the engagement of civil society in the prevention of genocide through concrete means, such as advocacy, monitoring, reporting, education, conflict prevention and resolution and reconciliation initiatives;

Encourages States to cooperate with relevant United Nations bodies and mechanisms to intensify conflict risk analysis as a significant element in guiding and/or contributing to assessments of the risks of the perpetration of genocide and to identify situations where preventive measures might be necessary;

Encourages the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to further enhance the systematic exchange of information between their offices and between the Special Adviser and all relevant special procedures, including those concerned with the promotion and protection of human rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, racial or religious groups, as outlined in article II of the Convention, and to continue collaboration with relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, national human rights institutions and civil society;

Reiterates the importance, when addressing complex situations that might lead to genocide as defined in the Convention, of a prompt and comprehensive examination of a set of multiple factors, including legal factors and possible warning signs as identified in, inter alia, the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Five-Point Action Plan and the Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes developed by the Office of the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect, such as the existence of groups at risk, the massive, serious and systematic violation of human rights, the resurgence of systematic discrimination and the prevalence of expressions of hate speech targeting persons belonging to national, ethnic, racial or religious groups, especially if they are uttered in the context of an actual or potential outbreak of violence;

Encourages States, the United Nations system, international and regional organizations and civil society to work closely in supporting the positive contributions of faith-based organizations and religious leaders;

Recognizes that early warning signs of genocide may also include an increase in serious acts of violence against women and children or the creation of conditions that facilitate acts of sexual violence against those groups, including as a tool of terror, and calls upon States to take the legislative and other measures necessary to protect women and children from all forms of violence;

Reaffirms that the starvation of civilians as a method of combat is prohibited under international humanitarian law and that it is therefore prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless, for that purpose, objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works;

Encourages States to ensure the full enjoyment of cultural rights, to take the measures necessary to prevent the destruction of historic monuments, memorial sites, including in places where crimes or atrocities have been committed, works of art and places of worship that constitute the cultural or spiritual heritage of peoples in the context of genocide prevention;

Urges States to preserve archives, oral histories and other forms of evidence concerning genocide and serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law to facilitate the sharing and dissemination of knowledge and the investigation of such violations, and to provide victims with access to an effective remedy, in accordance with international law;

Encourages States to make use of appropriate international and regional forums to address the issue of prevention of genocide, including, inter alia, the annual meetings of regional and thematic organizations and their related human rights machinery dedicated to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention;

Invites States and regional and subregional organizations to look at examples of best practices for the prevention of genocide developed in other regions, where appropriate, taking into account their specific regional and national circumstances, with the aim of exchanging experiences and good practices in order to strengthen prevention measures, including early warning mechanisms and forms of cooperation;

Encourages Governments, in cooperation with international and regional organizations and civil society, while promoting human rights education activities, to continue to disseminate knowledge of the principles of the Convention, paying particular attention to the principles of prevention;

Emphasizes the important role that education, including human rights education and training, can play in genocide prevention, and encourages Governments to promote, as appropriate, educational programmes and projects that contribute to the prevention of genocide;

Notes the provision of training and technical assistance to States by the United Nations to strengthen early warning mechanisms for the prevention of genocide, and other prevention capacities, and encourages States to consider requesting such assistance, if required;

Invites States as a preventive measure to provide appropriate ways, which may include the establishment of national days of remembrance of victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, that will ensure that such horrendous crimes are never forgotten and will provide an opportunity for everyone to learn lessons from the past and to create a safer future;

Urges States to continue efforts aimed at the memorialization and remembrance of past genocides as a way to prevent them by educating society;

Invites States to contribute to the implementation of target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goal through teaching and learning about, inter alia, past instances and the consequences of genocide;

Recalls the adoption by consensus of General Assembly resolution 69/323 on 11 September 2015, in which the Assembly proclaimed 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;

Invites States and regional and subregional organizations to observe the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of This Crime with public events that can memorialize and educate, and thereby contribute to preventing the recurrence of genocide and other mass atrocities;

Welcomes the role that States and international organizations, in particular the United Nations, have played in commemorating past instances of genocide by establishing and observing official days of remembrance;

Requests the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect and with relevant entities of the United Nations system, Governments and other stakeholders, to help to ensure the success of the observance by the United Nations of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of This Crime and to assist States, upon request and in compliance with the provisions of resolution 69/323 relating to funding, in organizing activities for the observance of the International Day;

Expresses concern at the spread of disinformation and misinformation, particularly on social media platforms, which can be designed and implemented so as to mislead, to spread racism, intolerance, xenophobia, negative stereotyping and stigmatization and to violate and abuse human rights;

Invites the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to continue to execute the activities under her mandate, including in the follow-up to the present resolution, by providing States with guidance, assistance and follow-up, upon request;

Requests the Secretary-General to draw up a roster of focal points and networks on the prevention of genocide with updated information from States;

Decides to convene, at its fifty-eighth session, a panel discussion on early warning and genocide prevention and, to this end, requests the Office of the High Commissioner to liaise with States, relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the treaty bodies, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as with civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and national human rights institutions and other stakeholders, including academic experts and the private sector, with a view to encouraging their participation at the meeting, and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to ensure that the panel discussion is accessible to persons with disabilities;

Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a follow-up report and recommendations based on information provided by States and other stakeholders on the implementation of the provisions of the present resolution, with particular focus on early warning and genocide prevention, and to submit the report to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-second session and to the General Assembly;

Invites the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to an interactive dialogue with the Human Rights Council at its fifty-ninth session on the progress made in discharging her duties;

Decides to continue its consideration of this issue in accordance with its programme of work.

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