Submission of the Second Congressional Report Pursuant to the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018

Press Statement
Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
August 4, 2020

Today, I am pleased to submit the second annual report to Congress under the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (the Elie Wiesel Act). Since President Trump signed the Elie Wiesel Act in January 2019, the U.S. Government has made significant progress in preventing, mitigating, and responding to atrocities globally. We have enhanced early warning, strengthened civil society and multilateral engagement, and increased the capacity of U.S. government personnel to coordinate, integrate, and institutionalize atrocity prevention across our foreign policy. The Elie Wiesel Act and the U.S. government’s atrocity prevention efforts serve as a model to the world.

Preventing atrocities is critical to promote U.S. values, including respect for human rights, the sacred value of life, and fundamental freedoms. The 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy states, “No nation can unilaterally alleviate all human suffering, but just because we cannot help everyone does not mean that we should stop trying to help anyone.” We will not ignore the suffering of those who experience atrocities. We will continue to promote accountability for perpetrators of genocide and other atrocities.

The work of the White House-led Atrocity Early Warning Task Force advances the U.S. government’s commitment to this critical foreign policy priority. The Task Force – which includes representatives from the National Security Council; Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and the Treasury; the United States Agency for International Development; and the Intelligence Community – takes timely and effective action to assess and address atrocity risks. We are proud to continue to lead and model a whole-of-government approach to protecting civilians and preventing atrocities.