In this episode, marking World Day for International Justice, we sat down with Ambassador Stephen Rapp. During the episode Ambassador Rapp discusses his own experience with international justice at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, as well as during his term as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes. The episode focuses on the evolution of international justice and the emergence of multiple paths to achieving accountability for atrocity crimes.

Episode 4: Stephen Rapp

In this episode, we sat down with Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW). During the episode, Omar discusses government attempts to derail HRW's work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including his deportation from the country in 2019, and HRW's recent reporting that the Israeli government's policies and practices amount to the crime of apartheid. We also discuss the Commission of Inquiry on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory recently mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.

Episode 5: Omar Shakir

In this episode we sat down with Charles Petrie, former UN Assistant Secretary-General and author of the infamous "Petrie Report" on the UN's failings in Sri Lanka. The episode gives detailed insight into Charles' appointments with the UN around the world, including in Somalia, Rwanda, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as why he left the UN after decades of service. Petrie also discusses the reason for penning his new book, The Triumph of Evil: Genocide in Rwanda and the Fight for Justice, and how the UN must change to become effective at preventing atrocities.

Episode 6: Charles Petrie

In this episode we sat down with Dr. Karen Smith, former Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). The episode explores how Dr. Smith has worked as both an academic and practitioner on atrocity prevention, as well as the difficulties of transitioning from an independent role to working with member states and the UN system. During the episode, Dr. Smith shares her views on crucial developments and achievements in the world of atrocity prevention throughout her tenure. She also discusses her plans for advancing R2P and the protection of vulnerable populations around the globe.

Episode 7: Karen Smith

In this episode we sat down with Ezequiel Heffes, Senior Policy and Legal Advisor at Geneva Call, an international humanitarian organization that works on creating lasting behavior change among armed non-state actors to protect populations more effectively. During the episode, Ezequiel shares his views on developments in civilian protection, including Geneva Call's unique methodology that increases awareness and respect for International Humanitarian Law by armed non-state actors. Ezequiel also reflects on his career path and the opportunities and challenges inherent in this work.

Episode 8: Ezequiel Heffes

In this special episode, the Global Centre team answers questions we frequently receive from our followers and colleagues to clarify common misconceptions about the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). During this episode, we discuss how the international community continues to encounter difficulties when confronting mass atrocity crimes and protracted conflicts around the world. The Global Centre team also examines the international legal framework of the four mass atrocity crimes that R2P aims to prevent, as well as the important role of justice mechanisms to end impunity. We conclude the episode by exchanging perspectives on how others can get more involved in atrocity prevention.

Special Episode: Ask Us Anything

In this episode we sat down with Professor Alexander Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, and UNESCO Chair in Genocide Prevention at Rutgers University, to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the episode Professor Hinton examines the veracity of Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims of genocide in eastern Ukraine as impetus for the invasion.

This episode is the first in a two-part series on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and international law. Stay tuned for our upcoming episode on the international response to the crisis.

Episode 9A: Alexander Hinton

This episode begins with a discussion of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine with the Global Centre's Communications and Digital Media Officer, Sarah Hunter. We then sat down with Rebecca Barber, a research fellow with the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and a PhD scholar with the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland. During the episode Ms. Barber discusses the international community's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as what additional steps can be taken under the Responsibility to Protect.

This episode is the second in a two-part series on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and international law.

Episode 9B: Rebecca Barber

In this episode we sat down with the Professor the Hon. Gareth Evans, Chair of our International Advisory Board and one of the architects of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). During the episode Professor Evans discusses the inspiration for his decades-long career in human rights and conflict resolution. He also reflects on the benchmarks against which he judges the success of R2P and shares why he is optimistic about the future. We also explore highlights from his new book, entitled "Good International Citizenship: The Case for Decency."

Episode 10: Gareth Evans

Coinciding with the release of the UN Secretary-General's report on the Responsibility to Protect - which this year focuses on the impact of atrocities on children and the role of youth in preventing atrocities - in this episode we sat down with Adrianne Lapar, Director of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. During the episode, Adrianne reflects on the progress made on the Children and Armed Conflict mandate as we commemorate its 25th anniversary this year, as well as various UN tools for the assessment of violations against children. Adrianne also provides reflections on how the atrocity prevention community can better address the unique risks faced by children.

Episode 12: Adrianne Lapar

In this episode we sat down with Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji, former President of the International Criminal Court and current Distinguished International Jurist at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University. During the episode, Dr. Eboe-Osuji reflects on the lessons learned from his diverse career in international justice and provides insights on the enduring value of the Responsibility to Protect as a norm in international law and international relations.

Episode 13: Chile Eboe-Osuji

This episode is the first of a two-part series examining the situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country during August 2021. For part one we sat down with Horia Mosadiq, an Afghan human rights defender, journalist and Director of the Conflict Analysis Network. During the episode, Horia explains how the treatment and targeting of particular populations - including women, civil society and ethnic and religious minorities - over the past year has contributed to complex atrocity risks. She also shares her insight on how the international community should respond.

Episode 14A: Horia Mosadiq

In this episode we spoke with Patricia Sellers, an international criminal lawyer currently serving as the Special Advisor for Slavery Crimes for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, where she previously served as the Special Advisor for Gender. During the episode, Patricia explains the unique ways in which gender makes one vulnerable to atrocities, as well as how the landmark judgements at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia have helped facilitate the future prosecution of acts of sexual violence as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. She also highlights some key lessons learned regarding early warning signs of gendered crimes.

Episode 15: Patricia Sellers

In this episode we spoke with Beatriz Borges, Executive Director of Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ). During the episode, Beatriz shares her unique experience as a human rights defender from Venezuela and sheds light on the risks faced by civil society across the country. She also highlights the important avenues through which the international community and external stakeholders should address the multidimensional crisis in Venezuela.

The episode begins with an overview of the Global Centre's assessment of the situation with our Venezuela Expert, Elisabeth Pramendorfer.

Episode 16: Beatriz Borges

In our final episode of 2022 we spoke with Tiffany Easthom, Executive Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce. During the episode, Tiffany discusses the unique model of Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) and shares how it can be used to address critical gaps in the protection and prevention architecture. While highlighting countries where UCP has been implemented, she shares her views on how it can be a useful tool in the prevention of mass atrocities.

Episode 17: Tiffany Easthom

In our first episode of 2023 we sat down with our Executive Director, Savita Pawnday. During the episode Savita shares how her experience as a human rights advocate at the Global Centre has grown alongside the evolution of the Responsibility to Protect principle and reflects on the challenges the international community continues to face in preventing and responding to atrocities. She highlights how the unique mandate and work of the Global Centre aims to address these challenges, as well as bridge the gap between affected communities and policy-makers to develop rights-based and community-informed prevention strategies and responses.

Episode 18: Savita Pawnday

In this episode we spoke with Meena Syed, Political Coordinator and Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations in New York. Meena reflects on Norway's 2021-2022 term as an elected member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), including some of the challenges the Council continues to face in carrying out its mandate to maintain international peace and security. She shares how elected members of the UNSC can and should help in navigating these challenges, as well as how the Council and the international community more broadly could improve the prevention of and response to atrocity crimes.

Episode 20: Meena Syed

In this episode we spoke with Tomás Ojea Quintana, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). During this episode, Tomás reflects on key moments from his tenure as Special Rapporteur, highlighting critical findings regarding potential crimes against humanity in the DPRK, as well as the challenges in investigating and influencing change in isolated countries. He also explains the relationship between human rights and international efforts aimed at encouraging denuclearization in the DPRK, pathways to accountability for crimes perpetrated against the population and how the UN system can enhance its atrocity prevention efforts.

Episode 21: Tomás Ojea Quintana

In this episode we spoke with Sareta Ashraph, an international criminal barrister currently consulting for the Center for Justice and Accountability and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide. During the conversation, Sareta reflects on her extensive experience investigating atrocity crimes, as well as her work with the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria and their determination in 2016 that the crime of genocide was being perpetrated in Iraq. She also discusses the gendered nature and impact of atrocity crimes across a variety of country situations, as well as the current gaps inhibiting justice for atrocities perpetrated against marginalized groups.

Episode 22: Sareta Ashraph

In this episode we sat down with the Global Centre's Geneva Representative, Elisabeth Pramendorfer. During the episode Elisabeth explains the importance of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and other Geneva-based mechanisms in atrocity prevention, and shares some examples of recent challenges and successes in atrocity prevention advocacy in Geneva. She also highlights how UN member states can ensure more effective early response to atrocities through the work of the HRC.

Episode 24: Elisabeth Pramendorfer

In this episode, we sat down with Muzna Alhaj, a Sudanese activist and a member of a Khartoum-based Resistance Committee. Muzna explains the outbreak of violence in Sudan in April 2023 and how the crisis has affected the role Resistance Committees play in their communities. She also discusses the current atrocity risks faced by civilians and steps the international community can take to support local populations and address the ongoing crisis.

Episode 25: Muzna Alhaj

In this episode, we sat down with Samuel Emonet, Executive Director of Justice Rapid Response. During the episode Samuel shares how Justice Rapid Response supports investigations into grave violations of international law. Samuel explains Justice Rapid Response's methodology in deploying experts with a wide array of specialized skills to aid in investigating and documenting crimes and how they uphold their core tenets of utilizing a victim-centered approach. He also shares how his own professional journey led him to realize the role played by international justice in achieving sustainable peace and the importance of working on justice objectives as early as possible in conflict settings.

Episode 26: Samuel Emonet

In this episode, we mark the one year anniversary of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement that halted the fighting in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region on 3 November. The episode begins with an overview of the crimes committed during the conflict with our Ethiopia expert, Sarah Hunter. Sarah also outlines why the international community must continue to monitor the crises in the country.

We then sat down with Radhika Coomaraswamy, an esteemed international lawyer who previously served as the UN Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict and recently acted as a Commissioner on the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). Radhika discusses the Commission's findings since its creation in 2021 and reflects on efforts needed to ensure accountability following the abrupt end to ICHREE's mandate. We end the conversation by assessing the risk of further atrocities in Ethiopia.

Episode 27: Radhika Coomaraswamy

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, we sat down with Naomi Kikoler, Director of the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. During this episode Naomi discusses the importance of monitoring and analyzing atrocity risks and how she and her Center work with decision-makers and states to build holistic atrocity prevention strategies and tools. She explains how lessons learned from the Holocaust inform her work and how to responsibly engage with survivor communities to honor their resilience. Naomi also shares her views on the enduring value of the commitments enshrined in the Genocide Convention when advocating on behalf of communities experiencing atrocities today.

Episode 28: Naomi Kikoler

In this episode, we sat down with Philip Grant, Executive Director of TRIAL International. Philip shares the unique story behind the founding of TRIAL International and an overview of the organization's work in the pursuit of justice and accountability in the aftermath of atrocities across the world. He explains why all justice efforts, including criminal accountability, reparations and redress, are important to prevent recurrence and address the rights and needs of victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. 

*As this episode makes reference to specific trials and dates, it should be noted that the interview was recorded in November 2023.

Episode 29: Philip Grant

In this episode we mark three years since the military coup in Myanmar by sitting down with Yanghee Lee, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and Co-Founder of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar. Yanghee reflects on her term as Special Rapporteur from 2014 to 2020, providing insights into the numerous developments that the people of Myanmar endured, and discusses the legacy of past abuses in Myanmar. She also shares her thoughts on the current crisis facing the country, as well as the steps that should be taken by the international community to better protect populations.

Episode 30: Yanghee Lee

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, DC. Dr. Fomunyoh discusses how and why elections and political transitions can serve as triggers for potential atrocities, and explains the range of risks that can arise during election periods. He outlines the steps that policymakers should take to better address and prevent election-related atrocity risks, highlighting some best practices from previous situations that can and should be applied to countries with upcoming elections and these risks.

Episode 31: Christopher Fomunyoh

In this episode we sat down with Leila Sadat, James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Former Special Adviser to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor on Crimes Against Humanity, and Director of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative. 

She provides background information on the Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity and explains why this new proposed treaty is necessary in the current global climate. Leila also outlines how the international community can advance the process towards treaty negotiations with the aim of adopting a stand-alone treaty on Crimes Against Humanity.

Episode 32: Leila Sadat

In this episode we sat down with Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Jonathan provides insight into the current situation for Palestinians in Gaza, as well as an overview of the access constraints and other challenges humanitarian actors face in delivering aid. Highlighting the vital role of UNRWA in not just aid distribution, but also the provision of medical care, education and other support, he discusses how disinformation campaigns targeting UNRWA and subsequent funding cuts have severely limited the Agency's capacity.

Episode 33: Jonathan Fowler

On 1 February Myanmar’s military, headed by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, overthrew the civilian-led government. The coup was launched in response to the decisive victory of the National League for Democracy in the November 2020 elections, where military-backed candidates were comprehensively defeated. The situation in the country remains extremely volatile, with troops deployed in all major cities and a deadly crackdown on peaceful civilian protests.

The same generals leading the coup are responsible for the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya population in Rakhine state, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity against populations in Shan, Kachin and Rakhine states.  

Through the expertise of two minority activists from Myanmar, Myra Dahgaypaw and Wai Wai Nu, we discuss how the military has committed atrocities in the past, if the coup poses an increased risk to minorities now, and what the international community can and should do to protect populations in Myanmar.

Episode 2: Myra Dahgaypaw and Wai Wai Nu

Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention is a podcast by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. The podcast, hosted by Global Centre Director of Policy and Research Jaclyn Streitfeld-Hall, features one-on-one conversations with practitioners from the field of human rights, conflict prevention, atrocity prevention and other related agendas. These conversations aim to provide a glimpse of the personal and professional side of how practitioners approach human rights protection and atrocity prevention. We hope to explore challenges, identify best practices and share lessons learned on how we can protect populations more effectively.

Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention

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