Miroslav Lajčák yesterday laid a wreath on mass graves containing the remains of more than 250,000 victims, and was given a tour through the different sections of the memorial explaining the history of divisionism in Rwanda, and the Genocide against the Tutsi and its consequences.
Lajčák who is a Slovak diplomat and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his shock at what he learnt during his guided tour. He expressed his chagrin at what happened in Rwanda and at the UN’s failure in preventing the Genocide.
“This is a very historic place that I wished to visit and pay my respects to those who lost their lives in the Genocide and to say once again that we failed the people of Rwanda and that it should never happen again,” he said.
Miroslav Lajčák added that violent conflicts are on the rise in many parts of the world today due to political leaders who favor decisions that are more prone to lead to wars rather than solve disputes.
“I wish the World could learn faster. If some political leaders could be brought here, they would see themselves the consequences of irresponsible political actions,” he remarked.
During a High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace that was held at the UN Headquarters earlier this year, Lajčák dedicated an article, titled “A New Approach to Peace”, to the meeting, where he noted that “the UN was founded for peace and that its success in preventing conflict should be the norm – not the exception”.
Miroslav Lajčák is President of the 72nd sessions of the UN General Assembly since september 2017.
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