International Day of Commemoration for the Victims of Genocide, 9 December

Today, the international community commemorates the victims of genocide. This date has been on our calendar for only 10 years: the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a commemorative day in September 2015. The date coincides with 9 December 1948, when the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted.

Throughout its history, Ukraine has repeatedly been the site of genocide: the Holodomor of 1932–1933, the Holocaust of 1941–1944, the Nazi genocide of the Roma, and the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944. The reason for these crimes has always been national and ethnic hatred, the desire to wipe out a particular nation, to subjugate or elevate oneself above it.

However, even after saying ‘never again,’ giving a legal assessment of this crime, and adopting the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, humanity has not learned the most important lesson: how to counteract and prevent this crime effectively.

Today, Ukraine is once again a territory where genocide is taking place before the eyes of the whole world. As a reminder, according to Article II of the Convention, genocide is defined as:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Russia is making efforts in at least four of these areas. It also lies, distorts and manipulates facts, which is also classic behaviour for those who commit genocide.

Regrettably, world history knows few examples when the instigators and perpetrators of genocide were actually punished. The determination and unanimity of the international community are needed to stop genocide in Ukraine and punish the criminals. Otherwise, international legal documents will remain nothing more than beautiful pieces of paper that cannot protect anyone.