On 14 July 2025, in the United Kingdom’s Houses of Parliament, the Coalition for Genocide Response, together with the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the Accountability Unit, launched a new initiative — the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes (Standing Group). Comprising a group of leading international lawyers, cross-party parliamentarians and policy advisers, the Standing Group has been set up to convene an independent review of, and provide comprehensive advice on, the UK approach to atrocity prevention and response.
The Standing Group’s work comes at a time when mass atrocities across the world, including the crime of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, are becoming prominent and seemingly permanent. According to the Global Peace Index report from 2024, more than 100 countries had been at least partly involved in some form of external conflict in the past five years, up from 59 in 2008. Between 2000 and 2020, almost one-fifth of countries experienced mass atrocities or raised the serious concern that they could take place.
The Standing Group’s aim is to make timely, impactful, and expert recommendations to government officials, policymakers, and civil society to help bring the UK government closer to creating a comprehensive framework to prevent and respond to international crimes in line with its existing international obligations.
Dr Ewelina Ochab, co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response, commented: ‘Atrocity crimes, including those meeting the legal definition of genocide, are more common than one would think. More than seven decades after the adoption of the Genocide Convention, three decades after the commitment to the Responsibility to Protect, two decades after the establishment of the International Criminal Court, we, as the international community, have been failing victims/survivors globally. We fail victims/survivors in that we continue to ignore early warning signs and risk factors of atrocity as they unravel before our eyes. We fail victims/survivors in that we affirm the perpetrators in the message that they can get away with their crimes. We fail victims/survivors in that we leave them without assistance to reestablish their lives, and under the constant fear of the recurrence of the crimes.’ She added: ‘The problem is not going to fix itself. Atrocity crimes prevention cannot be left to chance. Mechanisms for monitoring and analysis are key. Perpetrators will not hand themselves in to the authorities. Proactive documentation, investigation and effective prosecutions must prevail. We cannot wait decades more before taking stock and recognising that more needs to be done. We know it too well now and we must act accordingly.’
At the time of publication (14 July 2025), members of the Executive Committee include:
· Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws LT KC, Chair of the Standing Group, Patron of the Coalition for Genocide Response
· Dr Ewelina Ochab, Co-Convener of the Standing Group, IBAHRI senior programme lawyer, Co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response
· Aarif Abrahan, Co-Convener of the Standing Group, barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, Trustee of the Coalition for Genocide Response
· Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head, Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2022)
· Professor Fernand de Varennes, Visiting Professor at the University of Sarajevo and Université Catholique de Lyon and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues
· Professor Payam Akhavan LLM SJD (Harvard) OOnt FRSC, Professor of International Law, Senior Fellow and the inaugural holder of the Chair in Human Rights at Massey College, University of Toronto, and Special Advisor on Genocide to the Prosecutor of the ICC;
· Professor Christine Chinkin CMG FBA, Emerita Professor of International Law, Professorial Research Fellow and Founding Director of the Centre of Women Peace & Security at LSE;
· Federica D’Alessandra, Deputy Director at the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict and Director of the Oxford Programme on International Peace and Security;
· Alistair Fernie, Chief Executive at The Elders Foundation;
· Andrew Gilmour CMG, Senior Adviser at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (2016-2019) and Former CEO at the Berghof Foundation;
· Wayne Jordash KC, Managing Partner at Global Rights Compliance
· Jason McCue, Senior Partner of McCue Jury & Partners LLP and Co-Founder of EBRO Global; and
· Rupert Skilbeck, Director of REDRESS
As of 14 July 2025, the Advisory Board Members are:
· Lord David Alton KCSG, Patron of the Coalition for Genocide Response
· Lord Alfred Dubs
· Richard Foord MP
· Baroness Arminka Helić
· Baroness Fiona Hodgson CBE
· Blair McDougall MP
· Brendan O’Hara MP
· Baroness Liz Sugg CBE
· David Taylor MP
· Melanie Ward MP
· Luke de Pulford, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response.
· James Jennion, Co-Director of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights.
