Conflict and violence between and directed toward indigenous and ethnic groups is widespread in the world today. Ethnic minorities are routinely denied basic human rights, most notably in Sudan, but also in Burma, Tibet, and other countries. The link between protecting minorities’ rights and preventing conflict, specifically genocide, was highlighted recently in a report submitted by Minority Rights Group International (MRG) to the United Nations High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change. The report echoed U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan’s call to change the U.N.’s role in conflict from reactive to preventative.
When Annan announced the creation of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change on September 23, 2003, he stated that "a world where many millions of people endure brutal oppression and extreme misery will never be fully secure, even for its most privileged inhabitants."
In his announcement, Annan linked the "soft" threats of poverty and discrimination and "hard" threats of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, suggesting that both jeopardize peace and security. Annan assigned the High Level Panel the task of examining: challenges to international peace and security, the effectiveness of collective action in addressing these challenges, the ways in which the major organs of the United Nations function, and how U.N. institutions and processes need to be reformed to strengthen the United Nation’s ability as an international governing body. He suggested that the United Nations has reached a point at which it needs to reassess and possibly radically alter its role in order to continue to be effective.
MRG’s report focused on the ways in which genocide and violent conflict could be prevented, primarily through the promotion of minority rights and vigilance on the part of the international community. The report explained that genocide is a product of "dehumanizing politics aimed at defined groups." Rejecting these dehumanizing politics requires promoting the rights of all human beings to the freedom of expression and cultural difference, non-discrimination, effective participation in public life, and equal economic opportunity.
The current conflict in Darfur, Sudan, is an example of how indigenous peoples and minorities often find their rights trampled long before they become the target of violence. The report suggests that "by the time violence breaks out, the conflict has developed its own remorseless dynamic . . . and the international community is often left with only one option: military intervention. Thus, action must come much earlier, and to be effective, such action requires considerable co-operation."
According to the MRG report, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Juan E. Mendez, who was appointed to the new position in July, must be given a mandate and the resources necessary to take early action. "The mandate should allow for the Adviser to bring situations to the attention of the Secretary-General and the Security Council and make concrete recommendations for action, including diplomatic engagement with the government concerned. This should happen at a very early stage, when tensions are developing and have the potential to lead to violent conflict, even if the crisis stage seems to be some way off."
In its report, MRG advocates the appointment of a Special Adviser on Minorities to the High Commissioner and a Committee on the Prevention of Genocide to contribute to prevention measures.
It is unclear how the U.N. panel has received the report. According to the U.N. Global Security website, while the panel "may propose changes in the rules and mechanisms of the United Nations, the object of its deliberations is to find credible and convincing collective answers to the challenges of our time."
