Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention

In our last episode of 2025, we sat down with Meetali Jain, Director of the Tech Justice Law Project. During the episode Meetali reflects on her unexpected path into tech reform and how it was shaped by the alarming rise of online disinformation and hate speech. She explores how weak global data protections and unregulated algorithms can fuel real-world violence. Drawing on her litigation experience and work with communities targeted by surveillance and profiling, Meetali offers insights into corporate accountability, the limits of soft law and how to approach meaningful regulation.

In this episode, we sat down with Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Bushra reflects on her dual identities as a Palestinian and a humanitarian, and how this has shaped her approach to her work. She speaks to the critical role that humanitarian actors have played in not just providing physical aid, but also in highlighting the truth of abuses they are witnessing. Bushra also discusses how the the dehumanization and dispossession of Palestinians in Israel and in global media and policy spaces has fueled longstanding impunity for Israel's violations of international law. In this regard, she emphasizes the need for breaking paternalistic patterns and for meaningfully including Palestinians in decisions on their future.

In this episode, we sat down with Hala Al-Karib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), a coalition that builds the capacity of women’s rights organizations in the greater Horn of Africa. During the episode Hala reflects on the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, exploring its intersections with atrocity prevention. Hala discusses how grassroots organizations in the region continue their work amid political pressure and conflict, and describes how these challenges have shaped efforts to protect women and girls in Sudan over the last two decades. The episode ends with a powerful call to action for accountability for abuses against women and girls in the Horn.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics, civil society and human rights defenders who reflect on the conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work.

In this episode, we sat down with Alexander Bellamy, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of Queensland, Australia. During the episode, Alex shares insights from his extensive scholarship on R2P, including his collaboration with Edward Luck, the first UN Special Adviser on R2P. The conversation also explores the role of regional organizations in advancing R2P, the consequences of its uneven implementation and concludes with a message to the next generation of atrocity prevention scholars and practitioners.

In this episode, we sit down with Pascale Solages – a renowned Haitian grassroots feminist organizer, human rights advocate and founding member and general coordinator of Nègès Mawon, one of Haiti’s most active feminist organizations. During the episode, Pascale shares her personal journey into activism and reflects on the powerful role feminist organizations play in supporting communities across Haiti. She unpacks the historical and political roots of Haiti's ongoing multidimensional crisis, highlighting its impact on women, girls and other marginalized groups. The conversation closes with a powerful call to reframe the narrative around Haiti, centering dignity, resistance and the transformative potential of grassroots solutions.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work.

In this episode, we sat down with Mô Bleeker, the UN Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. During the episode, Mô shares insights into her current work as Special Adviser, reflecting on what is at stake in ensuring states act to prevent and respond to atrocities and on the diplomatic challenges of advancing R2P. The episode concludes with an overview of the key messages from the 2025 UN Secretary-General’s report on R2P ahead of the upcoming General Assembly annual debate on 25 June.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Abiodun Williams, Professor of the Practice of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. As the former Director of Strategic Planning for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon, he explores Secretary-General Annan’s pivotal role in the early development and implementation of R2P, emphasizing the influence of personal commitment on these efforts. Dr. Willams also highlights the contributions of non-Western states to the promotion of R2P and shares his perspective on the future of atrocity prevention in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work.

In this episode, we sat down with Adama Dieng, African Union (AU) Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities and Deputy Chair of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Adama reflects on his distinguished career in the prevention of atrocities, including his time as the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. He shares insights on how he is using his role as the AU's first ever Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities to draw attention to and mobilize response for crises across the continent. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the observance of Genocide Prevention and Awareness month and progress made in the prevention of mass atrocities over the past two decades.

In this episode, we sat down with Dirk Moses, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of International Relations at the City College of New York and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Genocide Research. Dirk explores common misconceptions in contemporary discussions about atrocity crimes and examines how these misunderstandings, both intentional and unintentional, impact international response. He also discusses how these misconceptions increasingly impact both practitioners and academic discourse, particularly following the recent escalations of the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. Dirk highlights how the recognition of genocides is increasingly obscured by geopolitical interests, which in turn impacts victim communities worldwide.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work.

In this episode, we sat down with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations since 2017. He shares insights into his evolving role and discusses R2P's influence on UN peacekeeping missions, particularly in civilian protection. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix also reflects on key challenges, lessons learned and the recent shifts in multilateralism and their impact on mission mandates.