Publications from the UK Atrocity Prevention Working Group

In February 2023, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched a call for input to the upcoming United Nations Secretary-General's report to be presented to the Human Rights Council. This report will be based on information provided by States and other stakeholders on the implementation of resolution 49/9, with a particular focus on the impact of technological  advances on prevention of genocide efforts, and on the risks of the perpetration of genocide  

In 2021 the UK atrocity prevention working group came together to share experiences  with, approaches to and responsibilities of how the atrocity prevention and human rights  sector engages with diaspora communities. This outcomes document sets out a number of  the challenges faced by our Working Group members that are led by or work with diaspora  communities and individuals. It presents principles of constructive, inclusive working to  improve how we, and others in the atrocity prevention and human rights sector, work. 

On 1 December 2021, members and friends of the UK Atrocity Prevention Working Group released a public letter addressed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Bosnia and Herzegovina. The statement calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to do its part to ensure the violent, dark days of the 1990s do not return. 

On 4 November 2021, members of the UK Atrocity Prevention Working Group released a public letter addressed to Minister for Africa Vicky Ford on the coup in Sudan. The statement calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to act swiftly, comprehensively and with conviction in response to the unjustifiable seizure of power from Sudan’s fragile democracy. 

On 16 March 2021 the outcomes of the Integrated Review of Defence, Development and Diplomacy were published, laying out a new vision for UK international policy. Members of the UK Atrocity Prevention Working Group have released a statement responding to this new vision. 

Members of the UK Atrocity Prevention Working Group and friends released a joint statement on the prevention of mass atrocities in Myanmar. The statement calls  upon Her Majesty’s Government to act swiftly, comprehensively and with  conviction in response to the unjustifiable seizure of power from  Myanmar’s fragile democracy.  

Members of the UK Atrocity Prevention Working Group published this submission to the government’s Integrated Review of UK international policy, calling for a national atrocity prevention strategy to be embedded in  the new Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and across UK  policy.  

Members of the working group sent an open letter to all political party leaders ahead of the General Election on 12th December 2019 asking them to set out their commitments on atrocity prevention. For the first time, all major political parties committed to prioritising atrocity prevention during the next parliament, and to working across party in doing so. You can read the letter and replies at the links below. 

The prevention of mass atrocities is a shared responsibility and no state, community or sector should be expected to shoulder the burden alone. In 2018 Protection Approaches authored a paper concerned with UK civil society contributions, drawing on extensive formal and informal conversations with civil society actors in the UK and abroad, in-house research, and the first working group workshop. It provides a picture of the great work being undertaken by UK NGOs in and around atrocity prevention, obstacles to more effective collective activity, and the road map for the working group's next steps.