Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Abiodun Williams, Professor of the Practice of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. As the former Director of Strategic Planning for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon, he explores Secretary-General Annan's pivotal role in the early development and implementation of R2P, emphasizing the influence of personal commitment on these efforts. Dr. Willams also highlights the contributions of non-Western states to the promotion of R2P and shares his perspective on the future of atrocity prevention in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Adama Dieng, African Union (AU) Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities and Deputy Chair of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Adama reflects on his distinguished career in the prevention of atrocities, including his time as the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. He shares insights on how he is using his role as the AU's first ever Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities to draw attention to and mobilize response for crises across the continent. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the observance of Genocide Prevention and Awareness month and progress made in the prevention of mass atrocities over the past two decades.

In this episode, we sat down with Dirk Moses, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of International Relations at the City College of New York and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Genocide Research. Dirk explores common misconceptions in contemporary discussions about atrocity crimes and examines how these misunderstandings, both intentional and unintentional, impact international response. He also discusses how these misconceptions increasingly impact both practitioners and academic discourse, particularly following the recent escalations of the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. Dirk highlights how the recognition of genocides is increasingly obscured by geopolitical interests, which in turn impacts victim communities worldwide.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations since 2017. He shares insights into his evolving role and discusses R2P's influence on UN peacekeeping missions, particularly in civilian protection. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix also reflects on key challenges, lessons learned and the recent shifts in multilateralism and their impact on mission mandates.

In this episode, we sat down with Julie Dubé-Gagnon, a Canadian jurist and investigator specializing in sexual and gender-based crimes (SGBC). Julie currently works with a UN investigative mechanism and has contributed to several UN investigative bodies, including those focused on violations and abuses in Myanmar (Burma), Ukraine, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Burundi and the Central African Republic, among others. She discusses the critical role of gender advisers in these investigations and the importance of understanding the full scope of gender dynamics when assessing the impact on victims of atrocities. Julie also addresses common misconceptions about gender-based violence and explores how international accountability mechanisms are responding to SGBC.

In this episode we sat down with Nicolas Agostini, Representative to the United Nations in Geneva at DefendDefenders. Drawing on his extensive experience in Geneva, Nico shares a wealth of knowledge on the creation of UN Human Rights Council (HRC) mechanisms and the evolution of their mandates over time. Nico highlights the value of HRC investigations and the importance of ensuring the findings are accessible to the communities who have endured grave human rights abuses and atrocity risks. Nico also discusses the challenge in maintaining international scrutiny of protracted crises and what civil society organizations are doing to collectively address remaining gaps in multilateral response.

In this episode we sat down with Mehret Okubay, a Tigrayan journalist, human rights advocate and member of Omna Tigray, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the violence committed against civilians during the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia. Mehret shares an account of life under the blockade imposed on Tigray, detailing the hardships civilians faced daily, as well as the abuses they endured throughout the conflict. She also discusses the ongoing risks to civilians in the region and examines the impact of the federal government's transitional justice policy. Mehret concludes with her insights on how the international community can more effectively support victims and survivors of atrocity crimes in Ethiopia.

In this episode we sat down with Niemat Ahmadi, Founder and President of Darfur Women Action Group, a women-led atrocity prevention organization that amplifies the voices of those most impacted by the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Niemat details how the failure to address the long lasting impacts of the genocide in Darfur two decades ago has shaped the current crisis and atrocity risks facing civilians. She also highlights the role that civil society, particularly women and youth organizations, have played in supporting populations in Sudan. Niemat ends with a call for the international community to take concerted action to halt the violence, hold perpetrators accountable and take practical steps toward achieving sustainable peace.

In this episode we sat down with Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda. Natia details the crimes committed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or Da'esh) against the Yazidi population and other minorities in Iraq from 2014 to 2017. She recounts how the tireless advocacy by victims and survivors helped establish the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and explores how UNITAD's investigative and analytical work has been central to advancing justice for the Yazidi genocide. Natia concludes with outlining lessons learned and what the international community must do to revitalize efforts for justice and accountability following the closure of UNITAD on 17 September.

In this episode we sat down with Ardi Imseis, Professor of International Law at Queens University, legal counsel to the State of Palestine in their case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and former member of the UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen. Ardi explains the legal significance of the ICJ's most recent advisory opinion on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, including how and why the Court's findings mark an important step in Palestinians' decades-long struggle for freedom. Ardi also articulates the obligations placed on the international community and provides his perspective on what steps they must take to protect Palestinian populations.

In this episode, we sat down with Mark Kersten, Assistant Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Senior Consultant at the Wayamo Foundation and founder and author of the Justice in Conflict website. Mark reflects on current trends in international justice, sharing analysis of recent progress in accountability as well as on the ways in which the international community has struggled to meet the demands of justice in the aftermath of atrocity crimes. He also provides recommendations on how states can better facilitate justice to affected communities.

In this episode we sat down with Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Jonathan provides insight into the current situation for Palestinians in Gaza, as well as an overview of the access constraints and other challenges humanitarian actors face in delivering aid. Highlighting the vital role of UNRWA in not just aid distribution, but also the provision of medical care, education and other support, he discusses how disinformation campaigns targeting UNRWA and subsequent funding cuts have severely limited the Agency's capacity.

In this episode we sat down with Leila Sadat, James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Former Special Adviser to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor on Crimes Against Humanity, and Director of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative. She provides background information on the Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity and explains why this new proposed treaty is necessary in the current global climate. Leila also outlines how the international community can advance the process towards treaty negotiations with the aim of adopting a stand-alone treaty on Crimes Against Humanity.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, DC. Dr. Fomunyoh discusses how and why elections and political transitions can serve as triggers for potential atrocities, and explains the range of risks that can arise during election periods. He outlines the steps that policymakers should take to better address and prevent election-related atrocity risks, highlighting some best practices from previous situations that can and should be applied to countries with upcoming elections and these risks.

In this episode we mark three years since the military coup in Myanmar by sitting down with Yanghee Lee, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and Co-Founder of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar. Yanghee reflects on her term as Special Rapporteur from 2014 to 2020, providing insights into the numerous developments that the people of Myanmar endured, and discusses the legacy of past abuses in Myanmar. She also shares her thoughts on the current crisis facing the country, as well as the steps that should be taken by the international community to better protect populations.

In this episode, we sat down with Philip Grant, Executive Director of TRIAL International. Philip shares the unique story behind the founding of TRIAL International and an overview of the organization's work in the pursuit of justice and accountability in the aftermath of atrocities across the world. He explains why all justice efforts, including criminal accountability, reparations and redress, are important to prevent recurrence and address the rights and needs of victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. *As this episode makes reference to specific trials and dates, it should be noted that the interview was recorded in November 2023.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, we sat down with Naomi Kikoler, Director of the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. During this episode Naomi discusses the importance of monitoring and analyzing atrocity risks and how she and her Center work with decision-makers and states to build holistic atrocity prevention strategies and tools. She explains how lessons learned from the Holocaust inform her work and how to responsibly engage with survivor communities to honor their resilience. Naomi also shares her views on the enduring value of the commitments enshrined in the Genocide Convention when advocating on behalf of communities experiencing atrocities today.

In this episode, we mark the one year anniversary of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement that halted the fighting in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region on 3 November. The episode begins with an overview of the crimes committed during the conflict with our Ethiopia expert, Sarah Hunter. Sarah also outlines why the international community must continue to monitor the crises in the country. We then sat down with Radhika Coomaraswamy, an esteemed international lawyer who previously served as the UN Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict and recently acted as a Commissioner on the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). Radhika discusses the Commission's findings since its creation in 2021 and reflects on efforts needed to ensure accountability following the abrupt end to ICHREE's mandate. We end the conversation by assessing the risk of further atrocities in Ethiopia.

In this episode, we sat down with Samuel Emonet, Executive Director of Justice Rapid Response. During the episode Samuel shares how Justice Rapid Response supports investigations into grave violations of international law. Samuel explains Justice Rapid Response's methodology in deploying experts with a wide array of specialized skills to aid in investigating and documenting crimes and how they uphold their core tenets of utilizing a victim-centered approach. He also shares how his own professional journey led him to realize the role played by international justice in achieving sustainable peace and the importance of working on justice objectives as early as possible in conflict settings.

In this episode, we sat down with Muzna Alhaj, a Sudanese activist and a member of a Khartoum-based Resistance Committee. Muzna explains the outbreak of violence in Sudan in April 2023 and how the crisis has affected the role Resistance Committees play in their communities. She also discusses the current atrocity risks faced by civilians and steps the international community can take to support local populations and address the ongoing crisis.

In this episode we sat down with the Global Centre's Geneva Representative, Elisabeth Pramendorfer. During the episode Elisabeth explains the importance of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and other Geneva-based mechanisms in atrocity prevention, and shares some examples of recent challenges and successes in atrocity prevention advocacy in Geneva. She also highlights how UN member states can ensure more effective early response to atrocities through the work of the HRC.

In this episode we spoke with Dr. Kate Ferguson, Co-Executive Director of Protection Approaches, and Dr. Jess Gifkins, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Manchester and the Queering Atrocity Prevention Research Fellow at Protection Approaches. During the episode, Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Gifkins explain how Protection Approaches aims to improve intersectional assessments of atrocity risks, including by incorporating the specific vulnerabilities faced by LGBTQI+ people and other groups within atrocity prevention research, policy and practice. They also highlight Protection Approaches' seminal report, Queering Atrocity Prevention, and provide an overview of how the report has been received and implemented since its release in March 2022.

In this episode we spoke with Sareta Ashraph, an international criminal barrister currently consulting for the Center for Justice and Accountability and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide. During the conversation, Sareta reflects on her extensive experience investigating atrocity crimes, as well as her work with the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria and their determination in 2016 that the crime of genocide was being perpetrated in Iraq. She also discusses the gendered nature and impact of atrocity crimes across a variety of country situations, as well as the current gaps inhibiting justice for atrocities perpetrated against marginalized groups.

In this episode we spoke with Tomás Ojea Quintana, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). During this episode, Tomás reflects on key moments from his tenure as Special Rapporteur, highlighting critical findings regarding potential crimes against humanity in the DPRK, as well as the challenges in investigating and influencing change in isolated countries. He also explains the relationship between human rights and international efforts aimed at encouraging denuclearization in the DPRK, pathways to accountability for crimes perpetrated against the population and how the UN system can enhance its atrocity prevention efforts.

In this episode we spoke with Meena Syed, Political Coordinator and Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations in New York. Meena reflects on Norway's 2021-2022 term as an elected member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), including some of the challenges the Council continues to face in carrying out its mandate to maintain international peace and security. She shares how elected members of the UNSC can and should help in navigating these challenges, as well as how the Council and the international community more broadly could improve the prevention of and response to atrocity crimes.

In this episode we spoke with Ahmad Helmi, Co-Founder and Manager of the Ta'afi Initiative. Ahmad shares his story as a Syrian human rights defender and survivor and the impetus for founding the Ta'afi Initiative. During the episode, he explains the importance of survivor-led and survivor-centered justice, as well as the vision set out in the Truth and Justice Charter. Ahmad also discusses how the international community can better support Syrian survivors, including through the establishment of a dedicated institution to determine the fate of the missing and disappeared in Syria.

In our first episode of 2023 we sat down with our Executive Director, Savita Pawnday. During the episode Savita shares how her experience as a human rights advocate at the Global Centre has grown alongside the evolution of the Responsibility to Protect principle and reflects on the challenges the international community continues to face in preventing and responding to atrocities. She highlights how the unique mandate and work of the Global Centre aims to address these challenges, as well as bridge the gap between affected communities and policy-makers to develop rights-based and community-informed prevention strategies and responses.

In our final episode of 2022 we spoke with Tiffany Easthom, Executive Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce. During the episode, Tiffany discusses the unique model of Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) and shares how it can be used to address critical gaps in the protection and prevention architecture. While highlighting countries where UCP has been implemented, she shares her views on how it can be a useful tool in the prevention of mass atrocities.

In this episode we spoke with Beatriz Borges, Executive Director of Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ). During the episode, Beatriz shares her unique experience as a human rights defender from Venezuela and sheds light on the risks faced by civil society across the country. She also highlights the important avenues through which the international community and external stakeholders should address the multidimensional crisis in Venezuela. The episode begins with an overview of the Global Centre's assessment of the situation with our Venezuela Expert, Elisabeth Pramendorfer.

In this episode we spoke with Patricia Sellers, an international criminal lawyer currently serving as the Special Advisor for Slavery Crimes for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, where she previously served as the Special Advisor for Gender. During the episode, Patricia explains the unique ways in which gender makes one vulnerable to atrocities, as well as how the landmark judgements at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia have helped facilitate the future prosecution of acts of sexual violence as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. She also highlights some key lessons learned regarding early warning signs of gendered crimes.

This episode is the first of a two-part series examining the situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country during August 2021. For part one we sat down with Horia Mosadiq, an Afghan human rights defender, journalist and Director of the Conflict Analysis Network. During the episode, Horia explains how the treatment and targeting of particular populations - including women, civil society and ethnic and religious minorities - over the past year has contributed to complex atrocity risks. She also shares her insight on how the international community should respond.

In this episode we sat down with Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji, former President of the International Criminal Court and current Distinguished International Jurist at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University. During the episode, Dr. Eboe-Osuji reflects on the lessons learned from his diverse career in international justice and provides insights on the enduring value of the Responsibility to Protect as a norm in international law and international relations.

Coinciding with the release of the UN Secretary-General's report on the Responsibility to Protect - which this year focuses on the impact of atrocities on children and the role of youth in preventing atrocities - in this episode we sat down with Adrianne Lapar, Director of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. During the episode, Adrianne reflects on the progress made on the Children and Armed Conflict mandate as we commemorate its 25th anniversary this year, as well as various UN tools for the assessment of violations against children. Adrianne also provides reflections on how the atrocity prevention community can better address the unique risks faced by children.

In this episode we sat down with Nury Turkel, a Uyghur lawyer who is currently Vice Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and Chairman of the Board of the Uyghur Human Rights Project. During the episode, Nury discusses how his personal experience with China's long-standing persecution of the Uyghurs has shaped his work. He details the Chinese government's systematic campaign of genocide against the Uyghurs and calls on the international community to be more outspoken against China's atrocities, as highlighted in his new book entitled "No Escape: The True Story of China's Genocide of the Uyghurs."

In this episode we sat down with the Professor the Hon. Gareth Evans, Chair of our International Advisory Board and one of the architects of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). During the episode Professor Evans discusses the inspiration for his decades-long career in human rights and conflict resolution. He also reflects on the benchmarks against which he judges the success of R2P and shares why he is optimistic about the future. We also explore highlights from his new book, entitled "Good International Citizenship: The Case for Decency."

This episode begins with a discussion of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine with the Global Centre's Communications and Digital Media Officer, Sarah Hunter. We then sat down with Rebecca Barber, a research fellow with the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and a PhD scholar with the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland. During the episode Ms. Barber discusses the international community's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as what additional steps can be taken under the Responsibility to Protect. This episode is the second in a two-part series on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and international law.

In this episode we sat down with Professor Alexander Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, and UNESCO Chair in Genocide Prevention at Rutgers University, to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the episode Professor Hinton examines the veracity of Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims of genocide in eastern Ukraine as impetus for the invasion. This episode is the first in a two-part series on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and international law. Stay tuned for our upcoming episode on the international response to the crisis.

In this special episode, the Global Centre team answers questions we frequently receive from our followers and colleagues to clarify common misconceptions about the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). During this episode, we discuss how the international community continues to encounter difficulties when confronting mass atrocity crimes and protracted conflicts around the world. The Global Centre team also examines the international legal framework of the four mass atrocity crimes that R2P aims to prevent, as well as the important role of justice mechanisms to end impunity. We conclude the episode by exchanging perspectives on how others can get more involved in atrocity prevention.

In this episode we sat down with Ezequiel Heffes, Senior Policy and Legal Advisor at Geneva Call, an international humanitarian organization that works on creating lasting behavior change among armed non-state actors to protect populations more effectively. During the episode, Ezequiel shares his views on developments in civilian protection, including Geneva Call's unique methodology that increases awareness and respect for International Humanitarian Law by armed non-state actors. Ezequiel also reflects on his career path and the opportunities and challenges inherent in this work.

In this episode we sat down with Dr. Karen Smith, former Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). The episode explores how Dr. Smith has worked as both an academic and practitioner on atrocity prevention, as well as the difficulties of transitioning from an independent role to working with member states and the UN system. During the episode, Dr. Smith shares her views on crucial developments and achievements in the world of atrocity prevention throughout her tenure. She also discusses her plans for advancing R2P and the protection of vulnerable populations around the globe.

In this episode we sat down with Charles Petrie, former UN Assistant Secretary-General and author of the infamous "Petrie Report" on the UN's failings in Sri Lanka. The episode gives detailed insight into Charles' appointments with the UN around the world, including in Somalia, Rwanda, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as why he left the UN after decades of service. Petrie also discusses the reason for penning his new book, The Triumph of Evil: Genocide in Rwanda and the Fight for Justice, and how the UN must change to become effective at preventing atrocities.

Earlier this year the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect launched a new podcast, Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention, featuring one-on-one conversations with practitioners to provide a glimpse of the personal and professional side of how they approach human rights protection and atrocity prevention. In this special episode, we sat down with our outgoing Executive Director, Dr. Simon Adams. The discussion begins with reflections from Dr. Adams on how his life experiences have uniquely led him to a career in human rights. We also explore the highs and lows of working on atrocity prevention over the last decade, including how intractable conflicts like Syria have shaped how we address emerging crises. We'd like to thank Dr. Adams for his unwavering leadership and immeasurable contributions over the last ten years at the Global Centre and wish him the greatest success in his new position leading the Centre for Victims of Torture.

In this episode, we sat down with Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW). During the episode, Omar discusses government attempts to derail HRW's work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including his deportation from the country in 2019, and HRW's recent reporting that the Israeli government's policies and practices amount to the crime of apartheid. We also discuss the Commission of Inquiry on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory recently mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.

In this episode, marking World Day for International Justice, we sat down with Ambassador Stephen Rapp. During the episode Ambassador Rapp discusses his own experience with international justice at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, as well as during his term as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes. The episode focuses on the evolution of international justice and the emergence of multiple paths to achieving accountability for atrocity crimes.

In this episode we explore the ongoing atrocities in Yemen with Radhya Almutawakel, co-founder and chairperson of Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, a Yemeni civil society organization that has recently been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.  The episode begins with a discussion of the ongoing crisis in Yemen with Global Centre Research Analyst, Jahaan Pittalwala. We then explore the documentation of abuses in order to create a "human rights memory" in Yemen and how the work by Mwatana and other civil society organizations has changed the narrative on the situation. Ms. Almutawakel ends by sharing her hopes for Yemen, including achieving justice and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

On 1 February Myanmar's military, headed by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, overthrew the civilian-led government. The coup was launched in response to the decisive victory of the National League for Democracy in the November 2020 elections, where military-backed candidates were comprehensively defeated. The situation in the country remains extremely volatile, with troops deployed in all major cities and a deadly crackdown on peaceful civilian protests. The same generals leading the coup are responsible for the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya population in Rakhine state, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity against populations in Shan, Kachin and Rakhine states. Through the expertise of two minority activists from Myanmar, Myra Dahgaypaw and Wai Wai Nu, we discuss how the military has committed atrocities in the past, if the coup poses an increased risk to minorities now, and what the international community can and should do to protect populations in Myanmar.

Inspired by her own experiences with prejudice, Ms. Rita Izsák-Ndiaye turned discrimination based on her Roma ethnicity into a career and passion for human rights. Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye details her work as Rapporteur for the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and how it contributes to the protection of vulnerable minorities around the world. By sharing best practices and trends she's observed over her years working on these issues, Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye calls on each and every one of us to confront hate online and elsewhere to show those experiencing racism and prejudice they are not alone.