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U.S. Leadership in Atrocity Prevention

A First Look at the New U.S. Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent and Respond to Atrocities

Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2022 / Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Center: Applied Conflict Transformation Center

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From Ukraine to Myanmar, mass atrocities continue to inflict devastating harm on targeted communities. These crimes — from the ongoing atrocities against the Uyghurs to the mass targeting of civilians and ethnic minorities in Tigray to systematic attacks against civilians in Ukraine — underscore the enduring need for U.S. leadership in atrocity prevention. The release of the U.S. Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent and Respond to Atrocities sets forth a government-wide approach for identifying, preventing and responding to the risk of atrocities and advances atrocity prevention as a national security priority. With atrocity risk alarmingly high for vulnerable civilian populations around the globe, such a strategy is critical for effective atrocity prevention efforts.

On July 20, USIP, the Simon Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U.S. State Department held a discussion of the newly released U.S. Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent and Respond to Atrocities — as well as looked at the work the Atrocity Prevention Task Force has done over the past year as documented through its 2022 report to Congress as part of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act.

Continue the conversation on Twitter using #AtrocityPrevention and #ElieWieselAct.

Agenda

9:00am - 9:30am: Welcoming Remarks

9:30am - 10:30am: Panel 1: Institutionalizing Atrocity Prevention 

  • Nidhi Bouri
    Acting Senior Director, Development, Global Health and Humanitarian Response, U.S. National Security Council
  • Robert J. Faucher
    Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State
  • Robert Jenkins
    Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, USAID
  • Michelle Strucke 
    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Partnerships, U.S. Department of Defense
  • Ambassador Beth Van Schaack
    Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, U.S. Department of State
  • Naomi Kikoler, moderator
    Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum   

10:30am – 10:35am: Break

10:35am-11:35am: Panel 2: Operationalizing Atrocity Prevention

  • Toby Bradley
    Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State
  • Scott Busby
    Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State
  • Katrina Fotovat
    Senior Official, Office of Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State 
  • Allison Lombardo 
    Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State
  • Rosarie Tucci
    Director, Center for Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, U.S. Agency for International Development
  • David W. Yang, moderator 
    Vice President, Center of Thematic Excellence and Gandhi-King Global Academy, U.S. Institute of Peace

11:35am – 11:45am: Closing Remarks

  • Robert Silvers
    Undersecretary, Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • David W. Yang
    Vice President, Center of Thematic Excellence and Gandhi-King Global Academy, U.S. Institute of Peace 

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