UN Adviser’s Contract Not Renewed After Refusal to Label Israel’s Gaza Actions as Genocide

Alice Wairimu Nderitu, UN Special Adviser on Genocide, departs after standing by strict legal definitions of genocide, raising questions about political pressures within the organization.

Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, will not have her contract renewed after refusing to classify Israel's Gaza campaign as genocide.
Nderitu's 2022 paper emphasized the importance of adhering to the legal definition of genocide, requiring intent to destroy an ethnic group, which she argued Israel's actions do not meet.
The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices recently suggested the possibility of genocide in Gaza, a claim Nderitu declined to endorse, citing lack of evidence for intent.
The UN stated her departure was due to her contract expiring, but critics argue it was a political decision influenced by internal and external pressures.
Nderitu’s removal has sparked broader concerns about the politicization of the term 'genocide' and its impact on its moral and legal authority in addressing genuine atrocities.