Preventing Mass Violence and Atrocities

In partnership with Wilton Park and Protection Approaches, the Stanley Center will convene an international conference to identify steps that countries might take to better prevent mass violence and atrocities in a coordinated and systematized way, utilizing the knowledge and capacity of local, national and international stakeholders.

Atrocity crimes have been rising year on year since 2012, leading to an increase in civilian deaths in conflicts, protracted crises and displacement. This is why actors from all sectors and levels of governance must focus on prevention. When it is carried out effectively it saves lives and significant resources for donor countries and the international community. As a matter of national security and national interest, prevention strengthens internal stability and security. The breadth of the United Nations (UN) system is talking about “prevention”—from the Sustainable Development Goals, the Human Rights Upfront Initiative, to Secretary-General António Guterres’ new report on peacebuilding and sustaining peace, and the UN/World Bank Pathways for Peace report on “Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict.”

Different stakeholders, especially government, civil society and grassroots actors, can work together to develop resilience agendas that are effective in supporting, protecting and empowering communities most affected by violence. This meeting will explore how actors from different sectors can work together to strengthen partnerships and approaches to prevention that make societies more resilient to potential outbreaks of mass violence and atrocities. The dialogue will also draw on shared experiences of donors and experts to understand how working models can be transferred—and the evidence base expanded—to ensure that future policy and commitments are rooted in robust evidence-based research and that international and national mechanisms implement shared knowledge of what works to prevent these worst forms of violence.