Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to address you today, as the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and as you gather for the 2025 Conference of the Network of the Garden of the Righteous in Milan.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the entire GARIWO team, and especially to the President Gabriele Nissim, for the partnership we have established to advance genocide prevention globally and for unwavering support extended to my mandate.
This support and partnership comes at the time of great need due to increasing trends of hatred and violence. And of attacks against memory, history, and the multilateral system.
In this dystopian scenario, the very foundation upon which humanity’s pledge of ‘Never Again’ to genocide and other atrocity crimes stands is also being shaken and attacked.
This is unacceptable and demands an urgent reset. A reset in the way we prevent and respond to the risk or the alleged commission of these crimes. But first and foremost, a reset of how we work together.
Let me set it straight: prevention of atrocity crimes is not something the United Nations or any of us can accomplish alone. It is a very complex undertaking that needs the commitment and action of many actors in society. Because it requires diverse expertise, perspectives, tools and resources.
Preventing atrocities is also more effective when different partners join hands and build coalitions that can be sustained in time. This not only increases the chances of successful prevention, but can also create a ripple effect, opening more doors for prevention
This was more than evident this July, when my office and GARIWO partnered to organize events in commemoration of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
An International Day which, thanks to GARIWO and other partners, turned into an international week of conversations on addressing online and offline hateful narratives that I consider to be a major challenge to all three pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. They also underpinned the connections between advancing work on all three pillars and preventing atrocity crimes.
Distinguished guests,
The topic of GARIWO’s conference this year, democracy, is extremely timely too.
That one word carries the promise of inclusion, equality, equity and protection. Democracy constitutes the guarantee that all voices are heard and that each individual has a seat on the table. It also ensures that protection for your rights does not depend on how strong you are, but on your condition of human being.
Strengthening democracy comes with a great responsibility. Responsibility to ensure space and representation for all groups in society. And to provide open, accessible institutions where grievances can be settled, preventing them from taking root and fueling violence. Strengthening democracy is not a task with an end in sight. It must be nurtured day after day.
But when a democracy loses the sight on its very raison d’etre; when political and representational space shrinks; when polarization crosses the threshold of neglecting each other’s humanity; when hate speech goes unaddressed; and when specific groups are targeted based on their identity – that erosion of democratic norms becomes a critical risk factor for atrocity crimes.
And when atrocity crimes are perpetrated, democracy demands accountability for these crimes.
For this reason, it is my hope that this conference can advance the discussion on safeguarding democracy and fully maximizing its potential as an essential tool for protecting the human dignity of each individual without discrimination.
And for making democratic societies fitter for the purpose of preventing atrocity crimes globally.
Because, as we have learnt from GARIWO, a simple seed can produce gardens, and gardens can turn into forests. Forests built out of individual commitment and action towards a world free of genocide and other atrocities.
Forests that provide shade against the heat of conflict, and which provide solace to peacebuilders across the world. Each tree is a unique component of a whole. That forest is our strength.
Thank you, again for the work you are carrying out daily towards creating and nurturing these forests worldwide. I look forward to hearing about the results of your discussion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to address you today, as the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and as you gather for the 2025 Conference of the Network of the Garden of the Righteous in Milan.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the entire GARIWO team, and especially to the President Gabriele Nissim, for the partnership we have established to advance genocide prevention globally and for unwavering support extended to my mandate.
This support and partnership comes at the time of great need due to increasing trends of hatred and violence. And of attacks against memory, history, and the multilateral system.
In this dystopian scenario, the very foundation upon which humanity’s pledge of ‘Never Again’ to genocide and other atrocity crimes stands is also being shaken and attacked.
This is unacceptable and demands an urgent reset. A reset in the way we prevent and respond to the risk or the alleged commission of these crimes. But first and foremost, a reset of how we work together.
Let me set it straight: prevention of atrocity crimes is not something the United Nations or any of us can accomplish alone. It is a very complex undertaking that needs the commitment and action of many actors in society. Because it requires diverse expertise, perspectives, tools and resources.
Preventing atrocities is also more effective when different partners join hands and build coalitions that can be sustained in time. This not only increases the chances of successful prevention, but can also create a ripple effect, opening more doors for prevention
This was more than evident this July, when my office and GARIWO partnered to organize events in commemoration of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
An International Day which, thanks to GARIWO and other partners, turned into an international week of conversations on addressing online and offline hateful narratives that I consider to be a major challenge to all three pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. They also underpinned the connections between advancing work on all three pillars and preventing atrocity crimes.
Distinguished guests,
The topic of GARIWO’s conference this year, democracy, is extremely timely too.
That one word carries the promise of inclusion, equality, equity and protection. Democracy constitutes the guarantee that all voices are heard and that each individual has a seat on the table. It also ensures that protection for your rights does not depend on how strong you are, but on your condition of human being.
Strengthening democracy comes with a great responsibility. Responsibility to ensure space and representation for all groups in society. And to provide open, accessible institutions where grievances can be settled, preventing them from taking root and fueling violence. Strengthening democracy is not a task with an end in sight. It must be nurtured day after day.
But when a democracy loses the sight on its very raison d’etre; when political and representational space shrinks; when polarization crosses the threshold of neglecting each other’s humanity; when hate speech goes unaddressed; and when specific groups are targeted based on their identity – that erosion of democratic norms becomes a critical risk factor for atrocity crimes.
And when atrocity crimes are perpetrated, democracy demands accountability for these crimes.
For this reason, it is my hope that this conference can advance the discussion on safeguarding democracy and fully maximizing its potential as an essential tool for protecting the human dignity of each individual without discrimination.
And for making democratic societies fitter for the purpose of preventing atrocity crimes globally.
Because, as we have learnt from GARIWO, a simple seed can produce gardens, and gardens can turn into forests. Forests built out of individual commitment and action towards a world free of genocide and other atrocities.
Forests that provide shade against the heat of conflict, and which provide solace to peacebuilders across the world. Each tree is a unique component of a whole. That forest is our strength.
Thank you, again for the work you are carrying out daily towards creating and nurturing these forests worldwide. I look forward to hearing about the results of your discussion.
