The failure of appropriate recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide helped convince Adolph Hitler some 20 years later to carry out a similar policy of extermination against the Jews in Europe. Sadly, since that time the world has also laid witness to the Cambodian Genocide, the Rwandan Genocide and the Genocide in Darfur.
As a result of the Armenian Genocide, the modern state of Armenia remains landlocked and does not constitute all of the lands once historically occupied by Armenians. Turkey, the successor state and beneficiary of the Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocides, currently maintains an economic blockade of Armenia which endangers the socio-economic viability, security and sustainability of a people subjected to genocide less than a century ago.
In 1965 descendants of the Armenian Genocide in Uruguay succeeded in having the Uruguayan government pass a parliamentary resolution acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. This restored some justice for Armenians across the world as Uruguay became the first nation to officially recognise this crime against humanity as Genocide.
Since then, Poland, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Vatican, Lithuania, Slovenia, Germany, Chile, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Wales, Switzerland and Cyprus have all recognised the Armenian Genocide, as have the states of New South Wales and South Australia in Australia and 43 states of the United States of America.
Furthermore, international organisations including the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches, the South American Parliament and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have all affirmed this historical reality.
The intention of resolutions that acknowledge the Armenian Genocide is to address the injustice that took place over 95 years ago, contribute to resolving the sustainability issues facing the modern state of Armenia and support the process of healing for the descendants of survivors.
These resolutions send a message to deniers that the civilized world will not tolerate crimes against humanity, no matter when or where they happen. The recurrence of this most inhumane crime against humanity demonstrates the urgency of proper international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, as a measure to prevent other such crimes in the future.