Atrocity spotlights
Our atrocity spotlights focus either on a country of concern, or a subject of relevance to the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity. They are aimed to give a concise overview of the issue, linking to relevant research and reports for more information.
Spotlight on Human Rights, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity
There is an inherent overlap between human rights violations and mass atrocity crimes, and the concept of Universal Human Rights has been closely linked to genocide prevention since the UN Declaration on 10th December 1948. Human rights protection, therefore, underscores UN Member States’ responsibility to protect populations and prevent mass atrocity crimes.
Spotlight on Ethiopia/Tigray
The conflict in Ethiopia, and the persecution of ethnic Tigrayans remains one of the world’s most neglected crises. The risk of genocide is high, while evidence of potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, continues to mount.
Spotlight on West Papua
Since 1963, in their attempts for independence, West Papuans have been subject to atrocity crimes (and potentially genocide) at the hands of the Indonesian state, including, extrajudicial killings, displacement of indigenous people, and the limiting of expression and freedom. This spotlight outlines the ongoing violence.
Spotlight on Elections and Violence
Although research suggests that democratic societies are overall less likely to experience mass atrocities, elections themselves often prompt the kind of widespread and systematic abuses that constitute these crimes. This spotlight explores this, and mechanisms the UK can put in to place to help prevent it.
Is genocide being committed in Ukraine?
Violence is escalating in Ukraine. Experts agree that there appear to be violations of international law and crimes against humanity being committed by Russia. Whether this has tipped over into genocide, is, as yet, unclear. The difficulty comes down to assessing intent to destroy the group. This spotlight provides various expert positions on the matter.
Spotlight on India
Twenty years on from the Gujarat genocide, an estimated 200 million Muslims in India are at risk of becoming stateless as history repeats itself.
Spotlight on Saferoutes
In the last decade alone, the number of people displaced worldwide has doubled to more than 80 million. At least two-thirds of refugees globally have fled situations of mass atrocity. When it has been established that a state is manifestly failing to uphold their R2P, providing safe routes to protection is a critical way the UK can fulfil its R2P without the need for military intervention. This spotlight outlines how this might be the case.
Spotlight on Kenya
Since gaining independence from Britain in 1963, electoral cycles in Kenya have given rise to violence perpetrated along ethnic fault lines; even more-so since the introduction of multi-party politics in the early 1990s. Now, academics and NGOs warn that ongoing issues ahead of the 2022 elections could prompt destruction on a scale far worse than that seen in 2007/08.