Mr. President,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of members of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

We thank the High Commissioner for the work of her office in highlighting human rights violations and abuses around the world. Such violations and abuses, especially when paired with other exacerbating risk factors such as limited civic space or high levels of political, social or economic instability, can be an indicator of potential atrocity risks. Therefore, the UN human rights system plays a fundamental role in preventing and responding to atrocities.

To further strengthen the role of the UN human rights system in the structural prevention of atrocities, we urge the High Commissioner to systematically include atrocity prevention measures in technical assistance provided by her office. In this regard, the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes can be an important tool in identifying a country’s individual protection gaps.

The UN human rights system can and should also rapidly react when situations are at imminent risk of escalation. In this regard, we call on the High Commissioner to make systematic and regular use of intersessional briefings for member states when her office identifies situations at risk. We also call on the High Commissioner to work closely with the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, mandated to provide early warning of atrocity crimes, to identify areas to strengthen cooperation and coordination, and to alert concerned states and the wider international community of necessary action in light of deteriorating crises.

Thank you.