UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on Prevention of Genocide  presented by Armenia

ArmInfo. The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on Prevention of Genocide presented  by Armenia.

"The resolution is a manifestation of Armenia's continuing and  resolute commitment to the international efforts for genocide  prevention. It is a call to prevent deterioration of the human rights  violations into such an egregious crime as genocide is. The  contribution of the Human Rights Council to this end is pertinent and  urgent as we all witness gross abuses of human rights in different  parts of the world," Armenia's Permanent Representative to UN Office  in Geneva Andranik Hovhannisyan said as he presented the draft.

"With this resolution the Council will note that genocide and other  mass atrocities often are committed within the context of armed  conflict. It will reaffirm that 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 objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian  population," he said.

"The resolution will emphasize that impunity is a significant risk  factor for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and that  it needs to be addressed through investigating allegations,  prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators. It will also acknowledge  the contribution of the International Court of Justice regarding the  prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide," the Ambassador  noted.

"The resolution will take stock of the UN and other international  activities conducted in this regard, inter allia welcoming the HRC  intersessional meeting that marked the 75th anniversary of the  Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of  Genocide," he added.

"It will emphasize that early warning should be linked to addressing  the prevention of genocide and will task to convene HRC panel  discussion on early warning and genocide prevention. It will request  the Secretary-General to prepare a follow-up report and will invite  the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of  Genocide to an interactive dialogue with the HRC," Andranik  Hovhannisyan stated.

"Martin Luther King famously said that "the arc of the moral universe  is long, but it bends toward justice." We strongly believe in our  joint mission to ensure the application of justice that the victims  and their descendants deserve, including through recognition,  accountability, truth, reparation, guarantees of non- recurrence and  preservation of historic memory," he added.

The Armenian envoy expressed profound gratitude to all co-sponsors,  to all States and other stakeholders that enriched this initiative  with their valuable and constructive contributions.