Decades after the Rwandan Genocide and the Bosnian War of the 1990s, atrocities continue to be committed and are strongly influenced by gender. The implementation of atrocity prevention (AP) efforts has thus been lackluster and ineffective, especially concerning the role gender plays in these processes. To promote gender-sensitive atrocity-prevention, this brief report outlines the current state of knowledge regarding atrocity prevention and its gendered dynamics. Drawing on lessons from the WPS agenda and the AP field, we advance recommendations and potential solutions to ensure nuanced and effective gender-sensitive AP implementation.

The June 6th seminar by HL-senteret, PRIO, and STK featured a keynote speech by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten. The SRSG touched upon a lot of pivotal topics, upcoming challenges, and policy recommendations during her keynote, highlighting the crucial role that gender plays for atrocities and their prevention.

This post explores the many lessons and challenges of atrocity prevention raised during the panel session of the seminar on Gender, Accountability and Atrocity Prevention on June 6th, in collaboration with PRIO and STK, commemorating 30 years since the Rwandan genocide directed against the Tutsi.

This blog entry explores the different manifestations of religion and belief systems in mass atrocity dynamics, and illustrates the relevance of R2P and atrocity prevention to the freedom of religion and belief (FoRB) agenda.

How can a small state such as Norway, with its seat in the UN Security Council, prevent atrocities like genocide and crimes against humanity? Is the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine too contested in the current world order?

There is an “atrocity gap” in international human rights protection that needs to be closed for an effective application of R2P online as well as in the real world.

The case of the Rohingya in Myanmar raises some questions that go to the heart of scholarly and political discussions over the responsibility to protect (R2P).