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Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Mher Margaryan delivered remarks at the UN General Assembly plenary meeting on the responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity on Monday, May 17.

“Addressing and countering hate speech remain crucial priorities in delivering on the genocide prevention agenda. Incitement to hatred and hate crimes, denial, justification or glorification of past crimes, along with instances of racial and ethnic profiling constitute the detectable early warning signs, which, if unaddressed, can lead to further violence and atrocities,” the Armenian diplomat said.

Margaryan stated Armenia, whose people have undergone through the horrors of Genocide in the early 20th century, will continue to support strong focus on the early action to prevent situations, which can result in atrocities.

“As the main sponsor of the UN General Assembly resolution instituting the International Day of the 9th December as the Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, Armenia is fully committed to strengthening this important platform, most notably, through thematic events aimed at fostering cooperation for prevention of atrocity crimes and the further development of national and international early warning mechanisms,” he said.

Margaryan underlined that Azerbaijan’s continued failure to release the numerous prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian hostages who are still being held in captivity, the ongoing provocations by way of incursions into the territory of Armenia, as well as the wide-spread state-led campaign of dehumanization of Armenians “come to manifest that the genocidal ideology does not merely belong to history.”

“This is a source of grave concern that needs to be properly identified and acknowledged to prevent further atrocities,” he said.