A new cross-party group, the standing group on atrocity crimes, aims to clarify the British government's legal obligations regarding genocide prevention and assessment. The group responds to concerns over the erosion of international law and seeks to elevate atrocity prevention as a priority for the Foreign Office. Currently, the UK government defers genocide determinations to international courts, contrasting with unilateral actions by other nations like the US. The group emphasizes that legal duties to prevent genocide should be more definitive and proactive rather than reactive to international court rulings.
The new group, known as the standing group on atrocity crimes, says its genesis does not derive from a specific conflict, but a wider concern that such crime is spreading.
At present, ministers say it is not for the UK government to determine if a genocide is occurring, but a matter for the international court of justice or the international criminal court.
Other countries such as the US unilaterally declare if they believe a genocide is occurring, as the US state department recently did in the case of Sudan.
The aim is also to encourage the government to make atrocity prevention a clearer priority for the Foreign Office, which has established an atrocity prevention unit.
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