In a statement issued on the occasion of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Guterres reflected on the horrors of 1994 while stressing the urgent need for accountability and prevention.
“Thirty-two years ago, Rwanda endured one of the darkest chapters in human history. In just 100 days, more than a million people were murdered,” he said.
The UN chief noted that the day serves not only to honour the victims but also to confront the failures of the international community at the time.
“On the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, we mourn the victims and honour their stolen dignity. We pay tribute to the survivors, whose resilience shows the strength of the human spirit,” he stated, adding that the world must also recall “with humility and shame, the international community’s failure to heed warnings and take immediate lifesaving action.”
Guterres emphasized that remembrance alone is not sufficient, urging nations to take deliberate steps to prevent similar tragedies.
“It’s not enough to remember the dead. We must learn from past failures and protect the living – by rejecting hatred, inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to violence; by investing in the social fabric to deepen community resilience; and by strengthening institutions that help prevent mass atrocities,” he said.
He further called on all countries to commit to international legal frameworks aimed at preventing genocide.
“I call on all countries to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay and to implement it fully,” he added.
So far, 153 countries have signed the international convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.
Reaffirming the United Nations’ solidarity, Guterres said, “The United Nations stands with the people of Rwanda. And we stand with all those, everywhere, who refuse to surrender our future to fear, division, or silence.”
He concluded by urging a renewed global commitment to action, saying, “Let this day reaffirm our commitment to remember, to listen, and to act. With history as our guide, and the prevention of genocide as our goal.”
Rwanda’s commemoration period, known as Kwibuka, begins on April 7, with a week of national mourning and continues over 100 days, reflecting the duration of the genocide in which more than one million victims were killed.
This year’s commemoration is observed under the theme “Remember, Unite, Renew”.
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