Mr. President,

The crime of genocide has, gradually but steadily in the past few decades, received the appropriate attention it deserves in international legal terms. The plethora of historical instances where this crime is encountered, from the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust to Cambodia and Rwanda, in combination with its horrific and brutal nature, underline the common obligation of civilized societies – citizens, governments and international and regional organizations everywhere – for increased vigilance to predict and prevent such inhuman practices.

Fifty-five years ago, following the incredible brutality of the Second World War, the international community, through the newly established United Nations, adopted unanimously the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was undeniably an important development in the long and difficult effort of humanity to deal with this particularly abhorrent crime.We look forward to its universal ratification, without reservations that are contrary to the letter and spirit of the Convention, which, to this day, remains the only universal legally binding instrument against genocide.

Mr. President,

The past year has marked the most significant development in our efforts to eradicate genocide since the adoption of the above Convention, in the form of the establishment of the International Criminal Court. This permanent institution with the power to exercise its jurisdiction over persons for the most serious crimes of international concern is a vital legal body that complements national criminal jurisdictions.

Having staunchly supported the establishment of a Permanent Criminal Court with jurisdiction over the crime of genocide, in the hope that it will act as a decisive deterrent for such crimes, my Government, is particularly pleased that this noble effort has been successful and is looking forward to the day when the Rome Statute will achieve universal membership. To this end, I would like to mention that we are proud and honoured that a Cypriot judge has been elected member of the ICC.

However, it is not only international co-operation, which is imperative for the punishment of those responsible. In addition to making a collectively bigger effort to enforce the provisions of the 1948 Convention, domestic legislation must also be reviewed to reflect its object and purpose, as well as, the necessity for strict penalties for the guilty parties. States must incorporate laws against genocide in their legislation so that the prosecution and extradition of perpetrators can become standard legal procedure when required. Furthermore states must ensure through their school curricula that this terrible crime be adequately discussed and explained to future generations.

Mr. President,

Another point I would like to stress concerns a characteristic that all cases of genocide have in common, namely that they were all, to varying degrees, preventable. Prevention is one of the major aspects we should focus on if we want to have a global and comprehensive approach.

In today’s globalised world, with the increased capability to discern the warning signs of potential cases of this terrible crime, the international community is better able to engage in preventive action. As our expertise in this field grows, we should aim toward the creation of warning methodologies for these phenomena. Such strategy would improve the response of the international community, both in terms of quality as well as reaction time.

Such cases of mass violence do not only entail the worst forms of human rights abuses but most importantly, their prevention requires the intervention of the international community precisely because the source of genocidal violence is usually internal and related to the domestic conditions in societies. In addition, such violent crimes encompass the element of premeditation and therefore include a preparation process. This makes failing to intervene even more unjustifiable.We must never allow the tragedy of Rwanda to ever happen again.

The establishment of the International Tribunal for Rwanda and Yugoslavia following the humanitarian catastrophes witnessed in those countries, has been another step forward in the efforts of the international community to combat grave breaches of humanitarian law and gross violations of human rights.

Cyprus has supported these institutions, as well as the Tribunal on Sierra Leone. The establishment of these institutions has been a historic development in the area of international criminal law, and we hope that all the necessary resources are made available to them so that they can successfully carry out their mandate. The number of cases tried, the sentences given, as well as the timetable set for the completion of legal proceedings and appeals by 2010 is, in our opinion, a good start in putting an end to the culture of impunity for crimes against humanity.

Mr. President,

The millennia old history of human societies is fraught with violence and destruction. This violence has taken many forms. One of its most potent manifestations has been the act of genocide. The 20th Century alone has registered instances of this heinous crime in a number of cases, a crime that does no honour to those who perpetrated it but also to those who had the power to prevent it. As we have entered a new century with the unprecedented explosion in technology, the ability to communicate instantly and with a vastly increased capacity to monitor, we are uniquely positioned to eliminate once and for all this scourge.

Thank you, Mr. President.