2 days ago
British Parliamentarians Call For Action On Atrocity Crimes Prevention
[Stock photograph] A pedestrian stands under an umbrella depicting the Union Jack while looking at ... More Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben, on July 31, 2023, on a gloomy and rainy summer day. (Photo credit: HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
On July 14, 2025, British Parliamentarians, as supported by civil society organizations, launched a new initiative on atrocity crimes prevention, the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes (Standing Group), to convene an independent review of, and provide comprehensive advice on, the U.K. approach to atrocity prevention and response. The initiative comprises a group of leading international lawyers and experts (including Professor Christine Chinkin, Professor Fernand de Varennes, Oleksandra Matviichuk), cross-party parliamentarians (including Lord Alton KCSG, Lord Dubs, Baroness Helić, Baroness Hodgson CBE, Baroness Sugg) and policy advisers.
The Standing Group's work comes at a time when mass atrocities, including the crime of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, are becoming a prominent and seemingly permanent feature of our world. The Standing Group's aim is to make timely, impactful, and expert recommendations to government officials, policymakers, and civil society to help bring the UK Government closer to creating a comprehensive framework to prevent and respond to international crimes in line with its existing international obligations. The Parliamentary launch will be hosted by a world-renowned lawyer, Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws LT KC, Director of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), who will be acting as the chair of the new initiative.
The Standing Group's work also comes at a time when the political will to focus on atrocity crimes prevention work appears to have diminished. For example, with changes at the Department of State, it is yet unclear how the work on atrocity prevention will be affected. The United States has been leading some of the work on atrocity crimes prevention, including by implementing the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (the Elie Wiesel Act). The Elie Wiesel Act, signed into law by President Trump during his first term, among other things, prioritizes the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities as a matter of national security interest and ensures that foreign service officers receive adequate training in conflict and atrocity prevention. Over recent years, the Department of State have been submitting the annual report to Congress consistent with section 5 of the Elie Wiesel Act. The Elie Wiesel Act reports have been detailing U.S. interagency efforts to address genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity around the world. It also chronicles whole-of-government work over the past years to promote atrocity prevention programs, protect civilians at risk, and hold perpetrators accountable in places where some of the most heinous crimes have been committed. The 2024 Elie Wiesel Act Report was published in July 2024, and the 2025 report is yet to be released.
In the U.K., several Parliamentarians have been trying to secure the much-needed reform, including with the Genocide Determination Bill and the Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill; however, with no significant progress for now. The new initiative is to change it, by way of convening an independent review of, and providing comprehensive advice on, the U.K. approach to atrocity prevention and response.
Atrocity crimes, including those meeting the legal definition of genocide, are more common than one would think. Crimes aimed at the destruction of communities are more common than one can comprehend. More than seven decades after the adoption of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention), three decades after the commitment to the Responsibility to Protect, two decades after the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), we, as the international community, have been failing victims/survivors globally. We fail victims/survivors in that we continue to ignore early warning signs and risk factors of atrocity as they unravel before our eyes. We fail victims/survivors in that we affirm the perpetrators in the message that they can get away with their crimes. We fail victims/survivors in that we leave them without assistance to reestablish their lives, and under the constant fear of the recurrence of the crimes. The problem is not going to fix itself. Atrocity crimes prevention cannot be left to chance. Mechanisms for monitoring and analysis are key. Perpetrators will not hand themselves in to the authorities. Proactive documentation, investigation and effective prosecutions must prevail. We cannot wait decades more before taking stock and recognizing that more needs to be done. If we fail to act on prevention, there will be stormy times ahead of us.
