INTRODUCTION
On November 15th, leading genocide prevention and human rights officials and experts from around the world gathered together in Paris for an international symposium to assess the current capacities of governments to effectively respond to genocide and mass atrocities and to recommend strategies to enhance international cooperation. The symposium was convened by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris.
The symposium was opened with an address by Samantha Power, Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council. Three focused panels examined core issues in genocide prevention, including the latest policy initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic, current threats of mass atrocities, and prospects for greater international cooperation.
Scheduled to deliver the concluding keynote address, Bernard Kouchner, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, was unfortunately unable to attend the symposium.
AGENDA
Welcome
Éric de Rothschild
President, Mémorial de la Shoah
Sara J. Bloomfield
Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Opening Keynote
Samantha Power
Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs, U.S. National Security Council
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Panel 1: Latest Developments in the Field of Genocide Prevention
Chair:
Antoine Garapon
Secretary General of the Institut des hautes études sur la justice, Paris
Lead Discussant:
Francis Deng
Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide
Panelists:
Michael Abramowitz
Director, Committee on Conscience, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Jacques Semelin
Professor of Political Science, Paris (Center for International Research and Studies)
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Panel 2: Current Threats of Mass Atrocities
Chair:
François Zimeray
Human Rights Ambassador, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Lead Discussant:
Louise Arbour
President and CEO, International Crisis Group
Panelists:
Piero Fassino
European Union Special Envoy for Burma/Myanmar
Salih Mahmoud Osman
Sudanese human rights defender
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Panel 3: Transatlantic and Multilateral Cooperation
Chair:
Gareth Evans
Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne; former Australian Foreign Minister
Panelists:
Stephen Rapp
Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, U.S. Department of State
Markus Löning
German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid
Alexandre Fasel
Ambassador, Director, UN and other International Organizations Division, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
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Discussion Papers
“Prospects & Process for Developing an Integrated Atrocity Prevention Network” by Michael Newton, Professor of the Practice of Law, Vanderbilt University Law School
“Enhancing International Cooperation for Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocities: The Case for Transatlantic Cooperation” by Lawrence Woocher, Senior Program Officer, Center for Conflict Management, United States Institute of Peace and Paul Stares, John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention, Director, Center for Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations
These papers were part of a follow-up discussion on November 16, 2010 of the international symposium. They were intended to inform and initiate discussion and are not intended as a comprehensive survey or analysis of issues in, or approaches to, mass atrocity prevention and response. They also do not necessarily reflect policies of the convening or participating organizations or the views of individual participants.
