President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in the 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide

President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in and delivered a welcoming speech at the 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide.

“I am pleased to welcome you to the 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide.

Before 1948, when Raphael Lemkin coined the term “genocide,” this crime had various names but lacked both international guarantees for punishment and legal tools for prevention.

Since its independence and accession to the United Nations, the Republic of Armenia, as the state of the descendants of a people who endured the Armenian Genocide, has assumed a leading role in international multilateral platforms in advancing issues of genocide prevention, punishment, and remembrance of victims.

Over the past decade, the Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide has brought together political leaders, leading scholars, civil society, and advocates for victims and survivors, uniting their voices, visions, alarms, and calls to make the promise of “never again” an irreversible reality.

I can confidently say that this initiative for discussions and solutions to one of the most complex and urgent issues of international politics and history can be considered an established and successful format. Yet, regrettably, crimes against humanity, genocides, and the risk of their recurrence remain as pressing as ever today.

Amid the deepening crisis in global security, the thematic focus of the 5th Global Forum is both timely and necessary. Over the next two days, discussions will address the toolkit for preventing genocide and other crimes against humanity, identifying its gaps—and, why not, its strong sides—while concentrating on mechanisms that need to be continually strengthened. Genocide prevention, the protection of civilians, respect for international law, and the elimination of impunity are, first and foremost, the responsibilities of states.

Today, our state’s principled position is to build and sustain peace based on rights-based solutions and a stable international system of justice. A system capable of identifying human rights violations, early signs of atrocities, and responding proportionately. We are confident that early prevention must be one of the cornerstones of an effective international security system.

I am convinced that during this two-day forum, our guests and Armenian participants will be able to propose effective solutions for strengthening human rights mechanisms, enhancing the work of multilateral bodies, emphasizing the critical role of international judicial institutions and the enforcement of their decisions, and amplifying the voices of civil society and the academic community.”