United Nations former Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed the Advisory Committee on Genocide Prevention on 3rd May 2006. The Committee provides guidance and support to the work of the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and contribute to the broader efforts of the United Nations to prevent genocide.
The Committee is composed of distinguished individuals with a diversity of backgrounds related to conflict prevention, human rights, peacekeeping, diplomacy and mediation. It is chaired by David Hamburg, President Emeritus of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and is expected to meet at least twice per year.
In addition to its Chair and Special Adviser Francis Deng, the other Committee members are:
Monica Andersson of Sweden, Senior Adviser, Department for International Law, Human Rights and Treaty Law, Foreign Ministry of Sweden;
Zakari Ibrahim of Nigeria, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria;
Romйo Dallaire of Canada, Canadian Senator and former Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda;
Gareth Evans of Australia, President, International Crisis Group and former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia;
Roberto Garretуn of Chile, former representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for Latin America and the Caribbean and former Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
Sadako Ogata of Japan, co-Chair of the Commission on Human Security and former High Commissioner for Refugees;
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and former Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa; and
Juan Mendez of Argentina, former Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide and currently the President of the International Center for Transitional Justice.