DECLARATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE 6 – 8 December 2019, Athens, Greece
Submitted to the International Community for the «International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime December 9th, 2019
Honourable Ladies and Gentlemen of the International Community,
December 9th 2019, a day of remembrance and dignity of the genocide victims as well as a day of prevention of the crime, finds us all in front of modern challenges that tarnish the face of humanity.
1).The International Community ignores and permits such atrocious crimes of Genocide as the one of the Yazidi Genocide which occurs since 2014 up until today. Apathy and lack of intervention hold thousands of women hostages in an unprecedented crime that continues to this day.
2).The lack of recognition and the indifference of the International Community against those crimes committed in the past, allows for the revival of anti-democratic and Neo-Nazi behaviours and movements to interfere in the international scene, trivializing the democratic institutions, the human rights and the fundamental values of humanity.
3).The Genocide of the Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians and other Christian populations has been perpetrated by the Committee of Union and Progress of the Young Turks movement. The successor of the perpetrator, the modern Turkish state, denies any crime committed in the past. In fact, the representatives of the modern Turkish state are allowed to participate in international political forums without offering an official apology for the historically confirmed Genocide of the Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians. The denialist behaviour on behalf of the Turkish state reproduces an expansive, aggressive and destabilizing foreign policy towards neighbouring countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, that runs against International Law. The denialist Turkish position perpetuates racist and oppressive policies against the citizens of Turkey.
We want to remind the International Community that we must be more sensitive and rigorous on issues related to human life, dignity, democracy and freedom of speech.
The priority of an International Community that respects the dignity of the Genocide victims should be:
- The immediate release of the Yazidi hostages.
- Condemnation of the Genocides that have taken place in the past, especially of those remaining without universal recognition such as the Genocide carried out by the Ottoman Turks against Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians and other Christian minorities.
- Taking further action that will effectively prevent and prohibit the crime of Genocide, and intensify efforts to place the commemoration day of December 9th in the center of international attention and conscience.
On behalf of the International Conference on the Crime of Genocide,
Israel W. Charny, Head of the Academic Committee
The Pan-Pontian Federation of Greece
Athens, Greece
8 December 2019