A/HRC/7/37 page 11 potential for escalation of violence and the need for preventive action. Central to the Special Adviser’s assessment was the ethnic factor in the violence, the extent to which it was organized or instigated and the risk that it become genocidal. In January 2008, the Special Adviser held a meeting with the Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations in New York to discuss the situation and to inform the Government of his intention to send staff to Kenya to gather first-hand information, an initiative which was welcomed by the Ambassador. In a presidential statement of 6 February 2008 (S/PRST/2008/4), the Security Council also welcomed the Special Adviser’s focus on Kenya and requested to be informed of his findings. The Special Adviser has conveyed his findings to the Secretary-General, including recommendations for preventive actions. 6. Consultations and thematic focus 29. Since assuming his office in August 2007, the Special Adviser has maintained an extensive process of engagement and consultation with Member States, most commonly through their permanent representatives, heads of agencies, departments and programmes within the United Nations and other staff members, to explain his approach to the mandate and to share information and concerns. Several permanent missions have hosted discussions on the prevention of genocide and the related responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The Special Adviser has also met with interlocutors of regional organizations, including the African Union and the European Union. 30. The Special Adviser has remained in close contact with academic institutions and non-governmental organizations at both the international and national levels to exchange views on country situations and thematic issues. In addition, he and his staff have attended conferences, participated in numerous events and made public presentations. In December 2007, the Centre for Conflict Resolution, the International Peace Academy and the office of the Special Adviser convened a round table in Stellenbosch, South Africa, on the theme “Prevention of genocide and the responsibility to protect: challenges for the United Nations and the international community in the twenty-first century”. 31. Other examples of specific activities include participation in a panel in a conference organized by the Carter Center on the theme “Faith and freedom: protecting human rights as common cause”, in September 2007; a presentation at the annual meeting of the special representatives and envoys of the Secretary-General, in October 2007; participation in a conference organized by the United Nations University and the International Crisis Group on the prevention of mass atrocities, in October 2007; attendance at an inter-faith conference on christian response to genocide, in November 2007; opening remarks at a seminar organized by the Department of Public Information entitled “From Kristallnacht to today: how do we combat hatred?”, in November 2007; an address to the Africa Committee of the New York Bar Association on the work of the genocide-prevention mandate, in January 2008; a presentation to the board of the Jacob Blaustein Institute on the mandate; participation in a workshop on the theme “Effective global conflict-prevention strategy in Africa: the role of the Security Council”, in November 2007; a public lecture at the University of California, Long Beach, including students, faculty and community representatives, in February 2008; and participation in a meeting of genocide scholars, representatives of research institutions and members of civil society engaged in genocide-prevention programmes, organized by the United States Institute of Peace to support the mandate, 3 March 2008.