On March 7 at the Geneva Headquarters of the UN Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian participated in the High Level Panel Discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide anticipated according to wh the Human Rights Council Resolution of 22nd of March 2013 adopted on the initiative of Armenia.

During the discussion which was being held in the big hall of sessions of the UN Geneva Headquarters and chaired by the President of the Human Rights Council Baudelaire Ndong Ella, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay delivered addresses. Adam Dieng, Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide was also one of the key speakers of the discussion.

Representatives of more than fifty countries and international organizations made presentations stressing importance of common efforts of international community in the prevention of genocides.

In his speech Minister Nalbandian particularly stated.

“ Armenia, as a nation that survived the first genocide of the 20th century, feels a strong moral responsibility to bring its contribution to international efforts in prevention of crimes against humanity. I should acknowledge the readiness with which many member states lent their support to our various initiatives for this noble goal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all co-sponsors of the Human Rights Council Resolution on Genocide Prevention that was adopted by this august body last year.

Despite the fact that the Genocide Prevention Convention was adopted in 1948, unfortunately, new genocides, new crimes against humanity have been committed over the ensuing decades, including recent years. From Cambodia to Rwanda to Darfur the terrible phenomenon of genocide has continued seeming unabated.”
“This means that we need not only debates, resolutions, declarations, conventions, but effective mechanisms and actions to prevent their recurrence.”