During three intensive days in January the Stockholm International Forum 2004 took place. More than 1,000 delegates from 55 countries, international organizations and NGOs participated in the deliberations.

This fourth Forum was a unique opportunity to focus attention on a question of crucial importance to us all: How can we prevent genocide, mass murder and ethnic cleansing from taking place in the future? The Forum’s main objective was to help narrow the gap between commitments and actions.

The opinions on the result of the conference have so far been predominantly positive. Follow ups are currently been made within the regular framework of the international machinery, where prevention on genocide has generally been given a more prominent place on the agenda. The proposal made by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during the conference to create a new mechanism to more efficiently bring issues on genocide and other massive violations of human rights forward to the Security Council, has led to further discussions within the UN headquarter in New York. In Brussels discussions on how to best incorporate the recommendations and conclusions of the conference within the security policies of the EU are taking place. And an international cooperation on education aimed at key-groups such as military, journalists, aid workers and others who might come in early contact with incipient genocide, are being prepared.

It gives me great pleasure to present you with the proceedings of the Stockholm International Forum 2004: How to prevent genocide. At the same time I wish to thank you again for your contribution to the success of the Forum. The impressive response gives hope for the future. This will surely help us, as noted in the words of the Stockholm Declaration, in our commitment “to doing our outmost for the prevention of these scourges in order to build a more secure future for us all”.

Sincerely,
Göran Persson
Prime Minister of Sweden