The aim of the event was to open a discussion on how states, including Slovenia, can contribute to the prevention and prosecution of the most serious crimes, including genocide, through the application of international and national law.
In her opening address, Assistant Professor Dr. Maša Kovič Dine, Head of the Department of International Law at the Faculty of Law, emphasised that atrocities do not occur because of a lack of law, but because of its disregard – and that it is the responsibility of states to change that. She placed the expert meeting within the broader context of past and current global developments, particularly in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, highlighting the importance and crucial role of international law in preventing and punishing the gravest crimes known to humanity.
In the main part of the event, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese presented the key findings of her recent report “From economy of ocupation to economy of genocide”, in which she analyzed the complex web of actors – including universities, investment and pension funds, banks, and even charitable organizations – involved directly or indirectly in the Israeli occupation.
Responding to questions regarding ongoing proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, as well as the lack of concrete measures at the level of the European Union, Francesca Albanese clearly stated that proceedings before international tribunals and European law must not be used as excuses for states to evade their clear legal obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. She particularly condemned the passivity of states in the face of alleged violations of jus cogens norms of international law.
The event concluded with the hope that the exchange of knowledge and perspectives between academic and non-academic actors will contribute to a more effective response to atrocities that, through digital media, are visible to us all.
