Statement by H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN at the UNGA80 Plenary Debate on the Responsibility to Protect

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

I thank the Secretary-General for his report, which analyses the current context of atrocity crimes and sets out options for the sustained implementation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

The report rightly underscores that the Responsibility to Protect focuses on preventing genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and protecting populations from these crimes, including in contexts that may not meet the threshold of armed conflict. Armenia supports the report's recommendation to strengthen national prevention capacities through effective institutions, early warning mechanisms and evidence-based risk assessments that enable timely preventive action.

Mr. President,

The Armenian people know all too well the devastating consequences of atrocity crimes. We firmly believe that preventing genocide and other atrocity crimes is a shared responsibility of all Member States. Guided by this conviction, Armenia has consistently advanced the prevention agenda across the United Nations.

The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, proclaimed by the General Assembly at Armenia's initiative in 2015, has become an important platform for promoting international cooperation on atrocity prevention. Building on this, Armenia initiated the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly marking the 10th anniversary of the International Day last year, bringing together Member States to reaffirm our shared commitment to prevention, accountability and effective multilateral action.

Armenia continues to lead the biennial Human Rights Council resolution on the Prevention of Genocide, adopted again by consensus this March. The resolution promotes an early warning approach to genocide prevention, calls for strengthening the UN's genocide prevention mandate in the context of the UN80 initiative and underscores the mandate's essential role in guiding the integration of genocide prevention as a system-wide, cross-pillar priority. It also addresses key elements of effective prevention, including the right to truth, gender-based violence, the fight against hate speech and incitement to violence, the protection of minorities and combating denialism.

Complementing these preventive efforts, education remains one of the most effective long-term tools for prevention. Last month, the General Assembly adopted by consensus the "Education for Peace" resolution, initiated by Armenia, recognizing the role of education in promoting tolerance, mutual understanding and a culture of peace.

Mr. President,

The United Nations, through its mechanisms, bears a central responsibility for ensuring effective early warning and preventive action before situations deteriorate into human tragedy. As discussions on the UN80 initiative advance, it is essential to strengthen the Organization's prevention capacities, including its ability to identify early warning signs and report on emerging risks.

Armenia remains committed to working with all partners to advance the Responsibility to Protect through strengthened prevention, enhanced early warning and effective collective action.

I thank you.