Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes launched to strengthen UK leadership on international atrocity prevention and response
London, 14 July 2025 – In response to the alarming global surge in atrocity crimes and the growing threats to the international rule of law, a new independent initiative, the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes, has been launched in the Houses of Parliament.
The initiative comprises a group of leading international lawyers, cross-party parliamentarians and policy advisers. The Standing Group’s aim is to make timely, impactful, and expert recommendations to government officials, policymakers, and civil society to help bring the UK Government closer to creating a comprehensive framework to prevent and respond to international crimes in line with its existing international obligations.
The Standing Group launches at a time of extraordinary global volatility. The number of active armed conflicts is at its highest since 1946, and there is a resurgence of atrocity crimes both between and within States, including in situations where there is no armed conflict. Between 2000 and 2020, almost one-fifth of countries experienced mass atrocities or had serious concerns raised that they could take place. There are also increasing attacks on the legitimacy and authority of international courts, tribunals and organisations, such as the United Nations.
The formation of the Standing Group, as an independent initiative, represents a coordinated effort to fill the gap in the UK’s existing policy architecture for atrocity prevention. The Group will convene an independent review of, and provide advice on, the UK’s approach to preventing and responding to international atrocity crimes, to aid the development of a comprehensive and cohesive framework for addressing these issues.
Members of the Standing Group, commented:
“Despite many past efforts, the UK currently lacks a cohesive atrocity prevention and response strategy. However, with. changing foreign policy priorities globally, the UK is in a prime position to take on greater leadership internationally on this issue and the goal of this Standing Group is to provide meaningful ways for the UK to do so.”
“This independent Standing Group will look to provide a practical, and clear route through for the Government to properly address atrocity crimes past, present, and future, in a consistent and principled manner.”
“One of our key priorities will including supporting the passage, following re-assessment, of legislative measures on anticipation and prevention such as the Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill and the Genocide Determination Bill.”
The formation of the Standing Group represents a coordinated effort to fill the gap in the UK’s existing policy architecture for atrocity prevention. The Standing Group will convene an independent review of, and provide advice on, the UK’s approach to preventing and responding to international atrocity crimes, to aid the development of a comprehensive and cohesive framework for addressing these issues.
The Standing Group is wholly independent of the UK Government. The Standing Group, however, stands ready to support the UK Government, if asked, in establishing atrocity prevention mechanisms and strategies that will allow it to meet its obligations under international treaties such as the Genocide Convention and the Convention against Torture, as well as customary international law and political commitments, and to allow it to play a meaningful role in discussions on future international laws.
Baroness Kennedy, Chair of the Executive Committee, stated that: “The international nature of the Standing Group’s make-up - comprising leading global voices on international law - reinforces the importance and significance of an international and joined-up approach to atrocity prediction, prevention and response.”
Committee Member, Oleksandra Matviichuk (Nobel Peace Laureate), reiterated the importance of a focus on victims and survivors: “We must ensure justice for all people, regardless of their social position, the type of crime they have endured, and whether international organisations or media are interested in their case. The life of each person matters.”
Lord Alfred Dubs, an Advisory Board member, added that: “The horrific crimes of the Second World War led us to the development of international criminal law and humanitarian law so that those atrocities would not be repeated. We have repeatedly failed in the promise of ’never again’ and so we must now ensure that international criminal and humanitarian law is robustly enforced before we reach the point of no return”