The Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes publishes The Atrocity Crimes Review: A Comprehensive UK Strategy for Atrocity Prediction, Prevention and Response.
The Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes, comprised of leading global practitioners on atrocity crimes and a cross-party group of UK parliamentarians, has launched its seminal report, The Atrocity Crimes Review. Following an 18-month inquiry augmented by parliamentary hearings, the Review provides an independent and comprehensive assessment of the United Kingdom’s approach to atrocity prediction, prevention, response and a practical programme for reform.
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) launched the initiative alongside the Accountability Unit and the Coalition for Genocide Response and acts as part of its secretariat, helping to organise independent reviews and expert recommendations on the UK’s approach to atrocity prevention and response.
The Atrocity Crimes Review examines the full trajectory of atrocity crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression, from early warning and prevention to accountability, sanctions and reparations. One of the principal findings of the Review uncovered several systematic inadequacies in implementing international obligations into domestic legal frameworks.
The Review concludes that whilst the UK possesses considerable diplomatic, legal and institutional strengths, the country lacks a coherent, cross-government framework capable of translating early warning into timely action.
The Standing Group urges the UK government to take a diplomatic lead on addressing atrocity crimes and strengthen support for its international legal mechanisms. The Review suggests 22 recommendations across four areas, including atrocity prediction, prevention and response, as well as funding, resourcing and implementation.
Baroness Helena Kennedy of the Shaws LT KC, IBAHRI Director and Chair of the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes, remarked: ‘It is imperative for the United Kingdom to resolve shortcomings within its laws and policies on atrocity crimes, given the rise of global armed conflicts and the existing challenges to the international rules-based order. Considering that the UK is already equipped with important diplomatic tools, adopting the recommendations of the Standing Group could help the UK to play a more proactive role on the world’s stage, including addressing atrocity crimes before they occur. Prevention is our only hope to change the trajectory of the pain and suffering of victims/survivors globally.’
Dr. Ewelina Ochab, IBAHRI Senior Programme Lawyer and Co-convenor of the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes, commented: ‘The report makes it clear that the UK is still far from where it should be to ensure comprehensive responses to atrocity crimes. As we see the highest number of active conflicts and situations of atrocity crimes since the Second World War, prediction, prevention and responses should be a priority for the UK and other countries. As we witness constant attacks on the international rules-based order, including from our friends and allies, the UK needs to show renewed leadership and galvanise like-minded countries to turn the tide and change the recent trajectory of too little too late responses and impunity. The cost of doing so is little, but it can deliver a palpable change, and first and foremost save lives.’
Among its 22 recommendations, the Review calls on the UK to:
- establish a reliable, equitable, comprehensive and transparent framework for deciding which situations require assessment;
- embed atrocity prevention as a core domestic and foreign policy objective and national security priority;
- equip UK courts with powers to prosecute atrocity crimes independent of the nationality or residency of the alleged perpetrators;
- ensure steps are taken to strengthen the government’s leadership over the global sanctions regime as a response to ongoing atrocity crimes; and
- adopt a distinct, cross-government strategy for atrocity prediction, prevention and response.
The Review’s authors note that considering the current global political climate, a robust and comprehensive approach is required from the UK and that the residual impacts of such crimes extend beyond immediate victims/survivors and, as such, should concern the international community.
The Atrocity Crimes Review can be downloaded here. It was launched at a high-level event on 13 October 2026 at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, London.
**ENDS**
Contact: IBAHRI@int-bar.org
Notes:
- About the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes:
On 14 July 2025 at the UK Houses of Parliament, the IBAHRI, together with the Accountability Unit and the Coalition for Genocide Response, launched the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes. Comprising a group of leading international lawyers, cross-party parliamentarians and policy advisers, the Standing Group has been set up to convene an independent review of, and provide comprehensive advice on, the UK’s approach to atrocity prediction, prevention and response. The group is chaired by Baroness Kennedy LT KC, Director of the IBAHRI and co-convened by Dr Ewelina Ochab, IBAHRI Senior Programme Lawyer. - Related items:
- The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), established in 1995 under Founding Honorary President Nelson Mandela, is an autonomous entity working to promote, protect and enforce human rights under a just rule of law, and to preserve the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession worldwide.
- Find the IBAHRI on social media here:
- The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, with the aim of protecting and promoting the rule of law globally, the IBA was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world’s bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.
Website page link for this news release:
Short link: tinyurl.com/mv7u83eb
Full link: www.ibanet.org/The-Standing-Group-on-Atrocity-Crimes-publishes-The-Atrocity-Crimes-Review-A-Comprehensive-UK-Strategy-for-Atrocity-Prediction-Prevention-and-Response