The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has called on the global community to draw lessons from past failures and take decisive action to prevent future atrocities, as Rwanda begins the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In his message on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Guterres said the day is observed to mourn the victims, honour their dignity, and pay tribute to survivors whose resilience reflects the strength of the human spirit. ALSO READ: 32 years later, Rwanda remembers “The United Nations stands with the people of Rwanda, and with all those everywhere who refuse to surrender our future to fear, division, or silence,” Guterres said. “Let this day reaffirm our commitment to remember, to listen, and to act. On this day, we recall, with humility and shame, the international community’s failure to heed warnings and take immediate lifesaving action.” ALSO READ: What happened on April 7, 1994 as Genocide against the Tutsi began Thirty-two years ago, Rwanda endured one of the darkest chapters in human history. In just 100 days, more than one million people were killed during the Genocide that was a culmination of decades of segregation and persecution of the Tutsi. Guterres stressed that remembrance alone is not enough. “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 strengthen community resilience; and by reinforcing institutions that help prevent mass atrocities,” he said. He also urged all countries to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay and to fully implement its provisions. Meanwhile, the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations will host the 32nd Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the UN Headquarters in New York. The commemoration period will last 100 days.
