UNIS/SGSM/1464
9 December 2024
Today marks the 76th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Adopted in the wake of the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, the Convention is a pledge to the victims and survivors of genocide to ensure that these atrocities never occur again.
Tragically, in a world plagued by division, mistrust and violence, the dark spectre of genocide is still with us.
In the name of the victims and survivors of genocide, all governments must ratify and fully implement the Convention, holding perpetrators to account.
We must strengthen the tools of prevention, including education and countering mis- and disinformation that can fuel hate speech and genocidal intent and action.
We must respect and implement decisions of the International Court of Justice on the application of the Convention.
And we must do everything possible to identify early warning signs and sound the alarm.
The best way to honour the victims and survivors of genocide is to ramp up action to prevent this atrocious crime.
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We must transform how we produce and consume, and how we value nature, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development.... Biodiversity loss is a global challenge. No one country, however rich or powerful, can address it alone. Nor can they live without the rich biodiversity that defines our planet."
LGBTIQ+ people around the world face an onslaught of hate speech, attacks, and restrictions on their rights. The power of communities is the theme this year which reminds us that we are strongest together. "LGBTIQ+ people, and those working with them to secure their rights, have proved time and again the value of communities in providing support and driving change," says UN Secretary-General António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
Barbados signed and deposited its instrument of ratification for the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships”) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8 May 2025.
