The prevention of genocide is a corestone of Armenia’s international policy. Since 1998, Armenia initiated numerous resolutions on the issue, that were adopted by the Human Rights Commission and later by the Human Rights Council and General Assembly. Armenia also held Global Forums “Against the Crime of Genocide” in 2015, 2016 and 2018. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly, at its 69th session, adopted without a vote, the resolution A/RES/69/323 initiated by Armenia on designating December 9 as the “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime”.
As a State that experienced atrocities, the Republic of Armenia deems it its “moral obligation” to prevent their recurrence. It views genocides not as a thing of the past, but as a present issue concerning everybody regardless of origin, race or religion. Armenia continues to draw the attention of the international community to the risk of genocidal violence against the people of Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia is particularly active in the field of memorialization, for example through the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, opened in 1995. The objectives of the Museum, among others, are to develop more effective cooperation and collaboration among organizations worldwide involved in the research of genocide, particularly Armenian Genocide; and to create and develop an academic institution on Genocide Studies in the Republic of Armenia.
Armenia and GAAMAC
Armenia joined GAAMAC to contribute to ending genocide and other mass atrocities by building global networks. It views GAAMAC as a place to discuss the role of education and raise awareness, and a platform to learn about good practices on prevention.
Armenia participated to the first, second and third Global Meetings of GAAMAC from 2014 to 2018. Cooperation continued when the Third Global Forum “Against the Crime of Genocide” was organized on 9 December 2018 in Yerevan, Armenia. The Forum, dedicated to genocide prevention through education, counted Mô Bleeker, then Chair of GAAMAC, among its speakers.
