The [United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide](http://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/adviser/adviser.shtml), Adama Dieng, recently wrote to the Focal Points of the Latin American Network for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (the Network) to congratulate them on the Network’s Declaration, which was adopted at the IV Focal Points Meeting in Santiago, Chile. The Declaration represents a further step towards the consolidation and formalization of the objectives and areas of work agreed upon by the Focal Points at the launch of the Network in March of 2012. The document is available in English and in English. In the letter, Special Adviser Dieng expressed his office’s appreciation for the continued emphasis that the Network has placed on education “in the design and implementation of regional and national initiatives”. He recognizes the creation of the “knowledge base” responsible for bringing about the implementation of national-level training initiatives in the region and insists that continued “efforts to consolidate a common curriculum on prevention should be encouraged”. To this end, he tells the Focal Points: “You can count on my full support.” Special Advisor Dieng also emphasizes the ways in which the Network serves as a model for collaborative work on prevention through “partnership and mutual assistance”. Dieng expresses his approval with the Network's specific aim of functioning as a “regional tool” which “contributes to the continued mainstreaming of atrocity prevention in national agendas.” The letter also highlights the Special Adviser’s admiration of the Network’s continued success, not only as a regional body, but also as a “global reference for good practices.” The Special Adviser emphasizes his “continued support” for the Network and the activities conducted under the Network’s banner since its inception in April of 2012. Special Adviser Dieng concludes the letter by stating that “the remarkable progress of the Network constitutes as much an opportunity as it is a responsibility. Let us continue working to make the Network a vibrant, operational and effective platform for atrocity prevention.” AIPR’s Director of Latin America Programs, Eugenia Carbone, explains the letter’s significance:
> The Special Adviser's letter serves as a recognition of the efforts and agreements that have been developed within the framework of the Network since 2012 and that have been embodied in the Declaration. As the Technical Secretariat of the Latin American Network, AIPR encourages the continued development of this tool and invites this community to disseminate and contribute to these advances in prevention being implemented by Latin America.
