UK statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. Delivered by the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.
Thank you, Mr President.
We thank the Special Adviser for their ongoing contribution to driving an atrocity-prevention approach across the UN system and raising atrocity risks to the Secretary-General and UN Member States.
Effective early warning systems that escalate concerns before they arise are critical for early action in preventing atrocities. We continue to support the "early warning systems for all" principle laid out in the Pact for the Future.
However, we also need to act on early warning signs. Atrocities continue to be committed across the world.
In Sudan, particularly Darfur, the reports of violence are deeply troubling.
In Myanmar, the military continues to escalate violence, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure. All parties must protect civilians.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban continue to enforce their inhuman restrictions on human rights, especially for women and girls.
On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Responsibility to Protect, we urge renewed global efforts to protect civilians and strengthen human rights in environments at risk. UN offices should continue to play a role in enabling the wider UN system in these endeavours.
What are the challenges to enabling the wider UN system to act on atrocity risks and how can Member States help?
