Egypt cautions against references to the 'Responsibility to Protect' in the context of genocide prevention.
Author : Ingy Ihab Published at : Mar 30, 2026
Ingy Ihab
On 30 March 2026, during discussions at the UN Human Rights Council in the 53rd meeting, there draft resolution (A/HRC/61/L.30) on the “Prevention of Genocide” was adopted without a vote.
Egypt reaffirmed its longstanding and principled position rejecting and condemning the crime of genocide. Characterizing genocide as a crime that stands in violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, Egypt reiterated its sustained and resolute commitment to participating in all international efforts aimed at preventing such acts.
Against the backdrop of current international developments, Egypt underscored the continued relevance of the draft resolution, emphasizing that the present international context requires strengthened collective efforts to prevent the most serious crimes and to address the underlying causes that contribute to their occurrence.
Within this framework, Egypt expressed its appreciation to the delegation of Armenia for presenting the draft resolution and acknowledged its constructive approach throughout the negotiations.
At the same time, Egypt reiterated that it has consistently read and understood the resolution strictly within the framework of the mandate of the Human Rights Council as established by General Assembly Resolution 60/251.
Addressing specific elements of the draft, Egypt took note of references connected to ongoing discussions regarding United Nations reform, including those linked to the UN80 process. While acknowledging the efforts made by the penholder to accommodate concerns expressed by delegations, Egypt maintained the view that such references may risk pre-empting processes that remain under consideration in other intergovernmental fora and therefore should be approached with caution.
Egypt also reiterated its established position concerning notions that have not achieved full consensus among Member States, particularly those related to the responsibility to protect. In this regard, Egypt stated that the concept continues to contain a number of political and legal gaps and stressed that consensus on its conceptual framework should first be reached before any further efforts are undertaken to mainstream it across the United Nations system.
Furthermore, Egypt emphasized the importance of addressing violations in a consistent and non-selective manner. It stressed that preventing genocide requires more than responding to crimes after they occur; rather, it requires addressing the root causes of conflicts, including situations of foreign occupation, while ensuring full respect for international law.
With these considerations in mind, Egypt joined the consensus on the draft resolution, while emphasizing its understanding that the resolution remains confined to the mandate of the Human Rights Council and does not provide constitute a basis for interpretations extending beyond that mandate or for concepts that have yet to achieve intergovernmental consensus.