The Early Warning for Protection conference will be held at the Phnom Penh Hotel, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 3rd and 4th November 2010. This forum will explore how private, public and civil-society institutions can harness early warning technologies and mechanisms to contribute to the prevention of mass atrocity crimes. 

The conference will explore a number of issues.

·        What is the role of new technologies in conflict early warning and how do they interact with more traditional monitoring systems?

·        How can we harness, coordinate, and utilise the sometimes overwhelming amount of information available? 

·        What systems and mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure effective early-warning is given?

·        How does the humanitarian sector work effectively with communities at risk once early-warning has been sounded?

·        How can a change in attitude and behaviour at a policy level be brought about in a way that forestalls a descent to violence?

The Conference will bring together both technology and early-warning specialists, and members of the international humanitarian community concerned with the protection of vulnerable populations and the prevention of mass atrocity crimes. These will include specialists from the UN and Regional Organisations, non-government organisations, scholars, government representatives and affected communities.

The conference falls within the context of the international community’s ‘Responsibility to Protect’, the new international norm developed to protect vulnerable populations from genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Only 150 places will be available for the event and registrations open late June 2010.  

For further information, or to register an early expression of interest, please contact:

earlywarning@oxfam.org.au

 * Please note that the conference will be conducted in English. If you require a Khmer translation service please advise us.