The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect welcomes today’s appointment of Mr. Ivan Šimonović to the position of UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect.

Mr. Šimonović’s appointment sends a clear signal from the Secretary-General of the need to strengthen the linkages between mass atrocity prevention and human rights protection. Mr. Šimonović previously served as the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, heading the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ New York Office. He has helped implement the Secretary-General’s “Human Rights up Front” agenda and has been a crucial part of the UN’s early warning system regarding the threat of mass atrocities.

The Global Centre looks forward to working with Mr. Šimonović and continuing to support the work of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect as it advances the UN’s commitment to protecting populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.