Wednesday marks the anniversary of the United Nations Genocide Convention. Established more than 70 years ago, the Genocide Convention was the first human rights treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly after the Holocaust. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Genocide Convention signified the international community’s dedication to prevent other genocides.

Despite this commitment, genocides persist. One distressing present day example is the atrocities faced by the Uighur population in Xinjiang, China. In October this year, the Canadian House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights (SDIR) concluded that these atrocities constitute a genocide.