Resolution on the Armenian Genocide

The below resolution was passed at the EMI Federal Assembly 2015 and can be downloaded here.

The European Movement, as an organisation founded on the principles of peace, democracy, liberty, solidarity, and respect for basic human rights, is fully committed to promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms as one of the key values uniting Europe.

Thus, the European Movement condemns all forms of crimes against humanity and genocide and deeply deplores attempts of their denial. Furthermore, the European Movement stresses that the prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity should be amongst the priorities of international community. Finally, the European Movement upholds that denials of genocide and other crimes against humanity, as well as acts of racism, xenophobia or religious hatred, constitute a clear violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and as such should be condemned.

The European Movement considers that the tragic events of 1915 organised and perpetrated against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire, though not litigated by an appropriate international court, constitute genocide as defined in the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948, joining its voice to over twenty states, a number of international organisations and institutions including the European Parliament (in 1987 and 2015), the Council of Europe (in 2001), and EURONEST PA (in 2015) which have already recognised the Armenian Genocide.

Moreover, the Council of the European Union also joined the international fight against genocide adopting a decision on 8 May 2003, on the investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

In the spirit of European solidarity and respect for human dignity, the European Movement joins the commemoration of innocent victims on the 100^th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015 and of the victims of all genocides and crimes against humanity.

Considering reconciliation and recognition of the Genocide as two parallel interlinked processes, the European Movement hopes that recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey will intertwine the historical reconciliation between the Armenian and Turkish peoples. An example for this could be the manifold efforts of Franco-German reconciliation in the 1950s and many examples of successful reconciliation between European nations.

The European Movement also encourages the European civil society, EU and CoE member states, as well as international organisations to build on their past experiences to advocate and support historical reconciliation between the Armenian and Turkish peoples in the spirit of advancing European values.