The European Union has called for renewed international cooperation to prevent genocide and other atrocity crimes, warning that over 120 armed conflicts in 2025 and 239 million people in need of humanitarian assistance represent a collective failure to act. In a statement delivered on 6 July 2026 at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the EU delegation stressed that the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) remains an urgent imperative, not a historical principle.
The statement, delivered on behalf of the EU and its member states, aligns with the Secretary-General's report on R2P implementation, which highlights the role of disinformation, hate speech, and discrimination against women and girls as drivers of atrocity risk. The EU endorsed the report's emphasis on dialogue and cooperation between states, civil society, and the UN as essential for prevention and protection. It reaffirmed its commitment to all three pillars of R2P: prevention, protection, and non-recurrence.
The EU reiterated its call on UN member states, particularly veto-wielding members, to support the ACT code of conduct and the French-Mexican initiative to refrain from using the veto in mass atrocity situations. Where the Security Council is unable to act, the EU argued, the General Assembly should use the "Uniting for Peace" procedure. The statement also underscored the link between accountability and prevention, voicing unwavering support for the International Criminal Court and urging all states to ratify the Rome Statute. It recalled the 2023 Ljubljana-The Hague Convention on mutual legal assistance and extradition for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, which has been signed by 40 states.
The EU called for constructive engagement to finalize a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, describing it as a demonstration of collective capacity to advance international law. The statement concluded by invoking the promise of "Never Again" after World War II, urging that it be renewed with vigour and determination.
The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, as well as Armenia, Andorra, and San Marino aligned themselves with the statement.