live, but also the moral protection (protection of traditions and/or culture). She explained that often institutions which goal is to protect may be used to attain contrary goals, for example when political parties exploit religious tensions to attain political goals, or uphold the law to the benefit of certain categories. She explained how this affects political and democratic processes, undermines state institutions and fosters the spreading of corruption at political and institutional levels. She recalled that those regimes in developing countries that have no proper oversight or monitoring mechanisms to counter this phenomenon have violated human rights and ignored people’s interest with total impunity, putting at risk the country as a whole. She explained how religious legacy can lead to double standards in some areas, resulting in a threat for all communities, and that when security forces can act without any form of control, human rights violations are likely to take place. She expressed the need to protect, prevent and stop crimes before they are perpetrated and said that when institutions at both national and international levels are not fulfilling their mandates they are putting citizens in danger. She finally called for the respect of the four Geneva Conventions in Iraq, more attention to most marginalised communities and for urgent solutions, especially for those who are internally displaced. Executive Director, Minority Rights Group International (MRG), Mr. Mark Lattimer Mr. Lattimer began with an overview of the situation of minorities in the world. Following this, he focused on the importance of the Minority Rights Group International’s Peoples under Threat Index, which measures violence and discrimination impacting minorities around the world. He discussed how when atrocities occur, prevention cannot be allowed to wait for future peace-building or democratization phase. He recommended that prevention measures accompany conflict resolution and stabilization efforts from the beginning. He stressed that ensuring minorities’ participation in the formulation of strategies for conflict resolution is essential. He also stressed the need to focus also on the foreign military interventions deployed under the auspices of international organizations and argued that such military interventions may prolong or intensify killings or even initiate general conflict. He commented that Pillar III of the Responsibility to Protect seems simplistic and out of step with the reality of multiple and continuous interventions in situations where minorities face recurrent violence from multiples actors. He specifically discussed the situation in the Crimea region, and more specifically the numerous cases of violence suffered by the Crimean Tatar, including intimidation and enforced disappearances. He stressed that the Russian Federation must make efforts to investigate and resolve those cases and respect human rights. Deputy Director of the Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Ms. Naomi Kikoler 15