Every year, the Steering Group of GAAMAC holds a multi-day retreat to reflect and prepare the future. In October, eight members met physically in Geneva and three others joined online. They discussed the implementation of the Vision 2022-2024 and developed a strategy to expand the network, in particular among States.

On day 1, Steering Group members were joined by representatives of the Africa Working Group and the Asia Pacific Working Group. Each presented its achievements and a decision was made to fortify the links between the Working Groups, to share good practice and ideas.

On the same day, interventions were hear from the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia (a GAAMAC partner) and Mr. Kyle Matthews, Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS), who is also a partner. The focus of this session to strengthen the cooperation with partners towards increasing political will.

The first day ended with a small reception for the Steering Group, members of the diplomatic community in Geneva, and representatives from the United Nations office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Geneva Academy.

The next day, three representatives of informal alliances were invited to give a short presentation on their work and collaboration with GAAMAC:

• Wichert ten Have, Advisor of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
• Karel Fracapane, Program Specialist, Section of Global Citizenship and Peace Education, Division for Peace and Sustainable Development Education Sector at UNESCO
• Jane Lawson, Senior Adviser on Civil Society Relations, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights.

After lunch, conversations resumed around the Vision 2022-2024, GAAMAC’s leadership and the organization of its fifth Global Meeting, GAAMAC V. The retreat ended with a summary of action points and the decision to follow up on them at the next Steering Group meetings.