The Asia Pacific Partnership for Atrocity Prevention (APPAP) is an alliance of organisations working towards the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, including through the prevention of incitement, and promotion of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine.
APPAP mobilises the capacities of local, regional and global actors in the prevention of atrocity crimes. Launched in November 2016, the partnership is continually growing, fostering cooperation between like-minded organisations while supporting each member to achieve its atrocity prevention goals.
APPAP’s vision is to support the protection of vulnerable communities from atrocity crimes, by nurturing the principle of Responsibility to Protect and through engaging in research, dialogue, training and targeted programs and projects.
APPAP works towards its goals via a number of thematic working groups. These cover:
- Atrocity prevention and awareness raising;
- Gender and atrocities prevention;
- Prevention of incitement to commit atrocity crimes; and
- Security sector governance and atrocity prevention.
Principles
APPAP is committed to the following principles:
1. The full implementation of the Responsibility to Protect principle as agreed by all governments at the 2005 World Summit, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
2. The full implementation of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law.
3. Full respect for the principle of inclusivity.
4. Recognition and respect for cultural diversity.
5. Recognition of the need for gender sensitive approaches to all aspects of work.
6. Recognition of the value of the rule of law, the principle of legal accountability and the need to end impunity.
APPAP Management
The Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect at the University of Queensland provides Secretariat support to APPAP.
Atrocity Prevention Resources
The primary imperative of atrocity prevention is to preserve human life. In 2014, the UN released a Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes: A Tool for Prevention (PDF, 4.22MB), which defines atrocity crimes as the most serious crimes, because they affect human dignity. Acknowledging that atrocity crimes occur as a process with underlying risk factors, early warning signs and triggers, actions can be identified and implemented in order to prevent or mitigate the risk of atrocity crime, and there is a global responsibility to work towards prevention.