A/HRC/RES/55/13
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
5 April 2024
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fifty-fifth session
26 February–5 April 2024
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 3 April 2024
55/13.
Prevention of genocide
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and
other relevant international instruments,
Recalling its resolutions 7/25 of 28 March 2008, 22/22 of 22 March 2013, 28/34 of
27 March 2015, 37/26 of 23 March 2018, 43/29 of 22 June 2020 and 49/9 of 31 March 2022
on the prevention of genocide,
Recognizing that in all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on
humanity,
Reaffirming the significance of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide, the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly, on 9
December 1948, and succeeded by the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights on the next day, as an effective international instrument for the prevention and
punishment of the crime of genocide,
Emphasizing that the crime of genocide is recognized in the Convention as an odious
scourge and that further international cooperation is required to facilitate the timely
prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide,
Deeply concerned about the occurrence in recent history of genocide, recognized as
such by the international community, on the basis of and as defined in the Convention, and
bearing in mind that massive, serious and systematic violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law might result in genocide,
Taking into consideration the fact that States parties to the Convention on the NonApplicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity of 26
November 1968 have agreed that no statutory limitation shall apply to such crimes, including
the crime of genocide, irrespective of the date of their commission,
Affirming that impunity for the crime of genocide, war crimes and crimes against
humanity encourages their occurrence and is a fundamental obstacle to the furtherance of
cooperation among peoples and the promotion of international peace and security, and that
fighting impunity for such crimes is an important factor in their prevention,
GE.24-06248 (E)