Government says “We do not plan to review the position on the determination of genocide” – but will rely on organisations like the UN – knowing that China will veto any investigation into crimes against the Uighurs just as it prevented the International Criminal Court investigating the UN’s report which found evidence of crimes against humanity in North Korea.

Oct 6, 2020 | News

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is genocide.jpg — The world continually turns a blind eye to genocide. Think of the Yazidis and Christians in Iraq, or the Rohingya and Uighur Muslims in Burma and China… It’s why we need to remove the decision to name a genocide from political and diplomatic vested interests and place it in the hand of the High Court of England and Wales. If a genocide is not named it allows Governments to renege on their duties under the 1948 Convention of Genocide to prevent, protect and punish.

GOVERNMENT SAYS “WE DO NOT PLAN TO REVIEW THE POSITION ON THE DETERMINATION OF GENOCIDE” – BUT WILL RELY ON ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE UN – KNOWING THAT CHINA WILL VETO ANY INVESTIGATION INTO CRIMES AGAINST THE UIGHURS JUST AS IT PREVENTED THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT INVESTIGATING THE UN’S REPORT WHICH FOUND EVIDENCE OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN NORTH KOREA.

Lord Alton of Liverpool – To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 September (HL8043 and HL8044) and their commitments under the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group’s Code of Conduct, what plans they have to review their position on the determination of genocide.
[HL8354]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon – The UK is committed to the principle that there must be no impunity for perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. Any determination as to whether war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is a matter for competent courts after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process. We do not plan to review the position on the determination of genocide.

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Lord Alton of Liverpool – To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 September (HL8043 and HL8044), what criteria they use to determine when genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes have been perpetrated to inform their decision not to veto any credible UN Security Council resolution in line with their commitments under the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group’s Code of Conduct.
[HL8353]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon – Indications of the existence of atrocity crimes, or the risk that they may be committed, will form part of Her Majesty’s Government’s overall assessment of a situation. In so doing, it will draw upon a variety of sources of information, including reporting by international organisations with particular expertise on these matters, such as the UN. It will be a matter for properly constituted courts to make legal determinations of whether atrocity crimes have taken place, using criteria defined by relevant international legal instruments such as the Genocide Convention and Rome Statute.