International Day for the Commemoration of the Genocide in Rwanda

Ambassador Sebudandi,
Mr. Weber
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen :


It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations for the observance of the International Day for the Commemoration of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. I would like to extend my appreciation to Ambassador Sebudandi, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations Office at Geneva, and Mr. Scott Weber, Director-General of WSP International for this opportunity to honour today the victims of this terrible tragedy.

This solemn occasion is in remembrance of the appalling atrocities committed on the men, women and children of Rwanda 12 years ago. The 800,000 Rwandans who perished at the hands of their fellow countrymen and women, did so for no other reason than that they belonged to a particular ethnic group. Those who survived and live on today, do so with very deep physical and emotional scars. This is a stark reminder to the world, of the dangers that prejudice and discrimination can breed. As the international community we have a collective responsibility not only for punishing genocide but also for ensuring that these horrific crimes committed on innocent people are prevented from ever happening again in the future. However, despite the United Nations Charter and international law, as well as repeated vows to uphold states’ responsibilities, our collective response has fallen short of what is expected of our Organization. We have to admit that today we still witness a lot of suffering from systematic violations of human rights.

Indeed, the United Nations Action Plan to Prevent Genocide, launched by the Secretary-General two years ago remains as valid today as ever before, as well as the World Summit Outcome Document, which provides a framework to guide our continuing efforts in protecting populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. We are all accountable for transforming these words into concrete actions. And we can do this by never being complacent in the face of such crimes. We should never have to wait until we witness another Rwanda or before hundreds of thousands of innocent people are killed before taking action.

As stated by the Secretary-General, “I encourage Member States and non-governmental organizations to work with the United Nations, and with my Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, to develop the Organizations’ capacity to provide early warning of potential genocidal situations. Simultaneously, the international community's capacity for preventive action must be strengthened, as should its ability to take timely and decisive measures in the face of serious human rights violations that may degenerate into genocide”.


We have to strengthen our common resolve and commitment to ensuring that no other population has to experience the atrocities that the people of Rwanda lived through 12 years ago. As we honour the victims of this tragedy, we also pay tribute to the survivors and the people of Rwanda. Their strength and will in face of challenges should serve as an inspiration to us all in our efforts to prevent and punish the heinous crimes of genocide from being committed again. Let us remain united in our resolve since we not only owe it to the memory of the victims of genocide but also to future generations so that they may never have to experience the same horrors against humanity.

Thank you very much.