The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is marked annually on 9th December.
2021 marks the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 ‘Genocide Convention’ by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- This was the 1st Human Rights Treaty adopted by the UNGA.
Objective:
i.It is observed to raise awareness about genocide and the role of the United Nations’ Genocide Convention in preventing it.
ii.To establish the duty of governments and states to prevent crimes of genocide and punish those who are involve in the heinous crime.
Significance of this day
i.At the 2005 World Summit, member states agreed to protect their populations from war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, as well as their incitement.
ii.The Convention signifies the international community’s commitment to “never again” and provides the first international legal definition of “genocide,” widely adopted at national and international levels.
Historical Background:
i.This significant date was later chosen to observe the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of Prevention of this Crime.
What is Genocide?
The term Genocide was first coined by Polish Lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1944. It consists of the Greek prefix ‘genos’ means race or tribe, and the Latin suffix ‘cide’, means killing.
The Genocide Convention defines the term as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”
- Through measures such as causing physical and mental harm to them, killing members of an ethnic or racial group.
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary general-António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, United States
Founded– 1945
