United Nations Forum on Minority Issues: Geneva, 25 November Addressing Gaps in Protection: Putting Targeted Minorities at the Fore of Prevention and Protection Strategies – Naomi Kikoler Chair, thank you for the invitation to speak at the Minority Rights Forum. It is an honour to be here. “If I leave here dressed like this I will be hacked to death.” The man who told me this was wearing a traditional Muslim outfit and was a government Minister in the Central African Republic. The plight of those in the Central African Republic and elsewhere is a stark reminder that the protection of targeted minorities in the midst of unfolding violence and atrocities is one of the most pressing challenges facing the UN system and international community. Governments have a responsibility to protect populations from mass atrocities as enshrined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention of Genocide and the 2005 commitment to the Responsibility to Protect. Yet tragically today we find far too often that domestic government’s are unable or unwilling to protect populations from mass atrocities and that the international community acts too little and too late if at all to avert preventable crimes. To prevent this, the UN system, regional organizations and member states must begin looking in a more systematic way at the specific risks of atrocities facing these communities. This is especially true in situations where violent conflict or civil war is unfolding, and in the context of the war on terror, all of which can obscure the commission of mass atrocities against targeted communities. The failure to act early narrows dramatically the policy options available to governments, regional and international actors to avert and halt unfolding violence and atrocities. As the political and economic costs of responding increases so too does the difficulty in mobilizing the political will to act, creating a deadly dynamic. When crafting policy responses for situations where violence and atrocities are unfolding it is critical to recognize that each situation has its own dynamics. Responses must be informed by the experiences and desires of local communities and our understanding of ‘protection’ must extend beyond physical protection of individuals to the preservation of communities cultural institutions and livelihoods.