President Donald Trump makes remarks about the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton at the White House as Vice President Mike Pence looks on, Aug. 5, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images/JTA) (JTA) — President Donald Trump submitted the first congressional report mandated under the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act.
The report was submitted to Congress on Thursday.
The report provides an overview of the United States government’s current and planned efforts to prevent, mitigate, and respond to mass atrocities globally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. “Specifically, the report highlights how the Department of State uses foreign assistance, diplomatic advocacy, and multilateral engagement, as well as training for our diplomats,” the statement said.
The report marks the launch of the Atrocity Early Warning Task Force, an interagency mechanism led by the White House. The task force will meet regularly, according to a senior Trump administration official, and not just be activated during times of emergency.
The Wiesel Act was signed into law in January 2019, after receiving bipartisan support in both houses of Congress.
It requires the executive branch to report annually to Congress on identifying early warnings of genocide, training U.S. officials in identifying potential areas where genocide may occur and how any administration is mitigating genocide through U.S. mediation, among other means.
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