December 9, 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention). The Genocide Convention’s adoption, ratification, and effective implementation have been significant JBI priorities since its founding in 1971. JBI’s 2001 publication An Epitaph for Raphael Lemkin, by Dr. William Korey, led the UN to formally recognize Lemkin’s role in developing the Genocide Convention for the first time. JBI also developed, in cooperation with the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, a Compilation of Human Rights-Related Risk Factors for Genocide, a Manual on Human Rights and the Prevention of Genocide, and the 2022 UN Policy Paper Combating Holocaust and Genocide Denial: Protecting Survivors, Preserving Memory, and Promoting Prevention.
In recognition of these efforts, JBIs work was featured in two of the official events commemorating the landmark 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention: the official UN event marking the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide, at which JBI was recognized by the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide as a "Champion of Prevention," and an event convened by JBI in cooperation with the UN Special Adviser on Genocide Prevention reflecting on the legacy of Raphael Lemkin, the "Father of the Genocide Convention."