On 5-6 December 2003, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and the Simons Centre for Peace and Disarmament Studies convened a symposium entitled “Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity: The Challenge of Prevention and Enforcement,” enabling constructive dialogue among academics and leaders of civil society organizations about the role of the United Nations in enforcing measures to protect civilians from genocide and other gross violations of human rights.

Keynote speaker Lloyd Axworthy, Director and CEO of the Liu Institute for Global Studies at the University of British Columbia and former Foreign Minister of Canada (1995-2000), was joined by Richard Falk, professor Emeritus of International Law and Practice at Princeton University and Chair of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and a range of panelists with varying backgrounds in peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention. The resulting discussions were constructive and cutting edge as the participants shared their ideas on how to engage the UN in facing the challenges posed by humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect civilians from avoidable catastrophe.

Major Speakers included:

• Lloyd Axworthy
Director and CEO, Liu Institute for Global Studies, University of British Columbia; Foreign Minister of Canada 1995-2000

• Richard Falk Professor
Emeritus of International Law and Practice, Princeton University; Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara

• Bill Pace
Executive Director, World Federalist Movement

• Saul Mendlovitz
Co-founder, Global Action to Prevent War

• Robert Johansen, Senior Fellow and Professor of Political Science, Kroc Center at Notre Dame University

• Don Kraus, Executive Director, Campaign for UN Reform

• Peter Langille
Professor, Center for Global Studies, University of Victoria

Sponsors

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Simons Centre for Peace and Disarmament Studies, Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia

Cosponsors

Global Action to Prevent War • The Law and Society Program at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) • The Global & International Studies Program at UCSB • The Sociology Department at UCSB • The Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research Center for Global Studies at UCSB • The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center at UCSB • The Department of Political Science at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) • The International Studies Association at SBCC • The Santa Barbara Chapter of the United Nations Association • PAX 2100

Click here to read about the 2003 International Law Symposium