A Conversation with Mr. Castro Wesamba, Chief of Staff at the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect

1. How would you describe the work your office does?

The Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect is mandated to support the early warning role of the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect, as well as their advocacy efforts to mobilize the United Nations system and Member States to take effective action in response to situations where populations are at risk of atrocity crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, or where these crimes are ongoing.

The Office’s work on early warning of atrocity crimes is based on the premise that these crimes do not happen overnight. They are processes; they require planning and preparation. There are warning signs and common risk factors, both structural and dynamic, that can lead to or enable the commission of these crimes. Once the risk factors are detected, it will be possible to identify measures that can be taken by States and the international community to reduce the likelihood of atrocity crimes occurring.

Accordingly, one of the main tasks of the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect is to collect relevant information on political, human rights, humanitarian, social and economic developments in all countries with the aim of identifying early warning signs of the risk of atrocity crimes.

2. How does this work overlap with religion or religious actors? How and why do you partner with faith based civil society actors?

We believe that we can partner with religious actors in our efforts to prevent atrocity crimes.  For this reason, we work with religious leaders and faith-based actors worldwide to promote their role in preventing incitement to violence through the “Fez Process.”

Six consultations were held with religious leaders and actors in 2015 and 2016, which culminated in the development of the Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes (Fez Plan of Action).

A total of 232 religious leaders and actors from 77 countries took part in the consultations. They included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs, as well as representatives from religious minorities, including Baha’i, Candomblé, Kakai, Yazidi and humanists. At least 30 percent of the participants in all consultations were women.

Launched by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in July 2017, the Fez Plan of Action makes detailed recommendations for actions to:

• Prevent and counter incitement to violence;
• Enhance capacity, dialogue, and collaboration with other actors, including the media for the prevention of incitement
• Contribute to building peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

It is a tool for religious leaders and actors, as well as for the Member States, United Nations partners, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, to use to support implementation of its recommendations.

Since December 2019, we have been co-chairing, together with the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Religion and Sustainable Development.  The IATF includes 21 UN entities and is supported by a Multi-faith Advisory Council (MFAC), which is composed of 40 faith-based organizations active in fields relevant to the work of the United Nations.  The IATF benefits from the advice and support of the MFAC on issues related to the intersection of religion and the three pillars of the United Nations, namely peace and security, development and human rights.

3. Have you seen a specific value in partnering with faith-based actors in times of COVID-19?

We value the partnership with faith-based actors because of their great support for the work of the United Nations and, in particular for activities aimed at preventing atrocity crimes and fostering peaceful, inclusive and just societies.  During trying times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this collaboration is more relevant than ever. Indeed, as the UN Secretary-General stated on several occasions, “to prevail against the pandemic today, we will need to work together.”

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been closely following growing trends of stigmatization, hate speech and hate crimes against specific groups.  Looking at the post COVID-19 scenario, the socio-economic and human rights impact of the pandemic will be enormous, with mistrust and suspicion likely to rise and vulnerable groups exposed to increasing risks.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the United Nations has advocated for actions that address and counter COVID 19-related hate speech.  On 26 March 2020, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations jointly called for solidarity, unity and compassion and stressed the importance of joining hands to combat COVID-19 related hate speech and stigmatization, in particular against vulnerable groups.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights and various Special Rapporteurs have made similar statements and issued specific guidance. The UN Department of Global Communication launched an initiative—VERIFIED—to combat misinformation and disinformation online related to the pandemic.  In addition, the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, as the UN focal point for hate speech, has launched the United Nations Guidance Note on Addressing and Countering COVID-19 related Hate Speech to follow up to the UN Secretary-General Global Appeal to fight global trends of hate speech and stigmatization related to the pandemic.

Regarding the specific collaboration with faith-based organizations, on 17 April, the IATF on Religion and Sustainable Development issued a statement on the COVID-19 response, endorsed by the MFAC to the IATF, in which it committed to working closely with all relevant stakeholders to stand up against stigma, hate speech and hate crimes, xenophobia, racism and all other forms of discrimination.

3. What do you find most inspiring (or most frustrating) about your work in and with religious actors?

Working with religious actors can be very inspiring but at times also challenging. On one side, their ability to reach out to and have an impact on the grassroot is something the United Nations can strongly benefit and learn from.  On the other side, a “cherry picking” attitude towards international human rights standards makes collaboration with some faith actors challenging.

4. Would you like to offer concluding remarks to share with our global, multi-religious movement?

We consider religious actors and faith-based organizations essential partners in the prevention of atrocity crimes.  We will continue working together with religious actors and faith-based organizations on the basis of the protection and promotion of international human rights standards and towards the shared objectives of building peaceful, inclusive and just societies and of “leave non one behind.”