– Anticipating genocide, mass murder or ethnic cleansing
– Genocide and international law, and the responsibilities and capabilities of international organisations
– Genocide and policy instruments: diplomatic, legal, humanitarian, economic and military tools for preventing genocide
– Genocide and mass media, genocide in education, and genocide in a nation’s memory

This conference was the first major inter-governmental conference to address these crucial issues relating to genocide prevention since the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948. It was, therefore, significant that the Secretary General of the United Nations was the opening keynote speaker. He began by expressing his determination to strengthen the UN’s capacity for action, to move the organisation from a culture of reaction to one of prevention. He also proposed the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on the Prevention of Genocide, who would be supported by the High Commissioner for Human Rights but report directly to the Security Council.

Also of great symbolic value was the fact that the concluding keynote address was delivered by the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union, Javier Solana, who linked the conference theme to the newly adopted EU Security Strategy agreement.

The fourth conference also resulted in a Declaration that included a number of key concepts. One such concept relates to the international community’s common responsibility, the responsibility to protect as described in the “Report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty” (ICISS). Another key concept of the Declaration is justice. It raises the importance of perpetrators of genocidal acts being brought to justice. A third key concept is education, the need for education against genocidal dangers and increased awareness of how to recognise early warning signals.

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