III Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide kicked off in Yerevan

ArmInfo. The third Global Forum "Against the Crime of Genocide" kicked off in Yerevan. The opening ceremony of the forum was held at the Matenadaran Museum-Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, part of collection of which survived thanks to  those who escaped from the Genocide.

Acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan noted at the opening of  the forum, that on December 9, 1948, thanks to the efforts of Rafael  Lemkin, who devoted his life to combating this crime, the Convention  on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide  was  adopted. On December 10, 1948, as Mnatsakanyan recalled, the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. "70 years ago, a  large group of experts gathered to adopt an important document, which  is still the most important international mechanism," the diplomat  said. According to him, it took two world wars to adopt documents on  human rights.

Mnatsakanyan recalled that based on the initiative of Armenia, in  2015 the UN General Assembly declared December 9th, the day the  Genocide Convention was adopted, as the International Day of  Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and  of the Prevention of this Crime.

However, today the threat of repetition of genocides has not been  eliminated. In a rapidly changing world, such challenges as the  spread of intolerance, xenophobia and hatred continue to develop.  According to Mnatsakanyan, it is precisely to address these issues  that the main discussions should be directed to replenish the arsenal  of fighting this type of crime.

The Forum "Against the Crime of Genocide", which will be held in  Yerevan December 9-11, is dedicated to the prevention of the crime of  genocide through education, culture and museums, organized by the  Armenian Foreign Ministry with the assistance of the UN Office for  the Prevention of Genocides, and in collaboration with the  International Association of Genocide Researchers. Armenian Acting  Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Adama Dieng, United Nations  Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, special Rapporteur of  the UN Secretary General Fernan de Warren, Rapporteur of the  Commission on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs of the  OSCE Kyriakos Kyriakou-Hadjiyiani, as well as the President of the  International Association of Genocide Researchers Henri Therion and  the Global Action for the Prevention of Mass Crime (GAAMAC). 11  December the solemn opening ceremony of Rafael Lemkin Street will be  held (current - the 1st dead end of Marshal Baghramian Avenue).