Two decades have passed and yet the terrible events that were unleashed in April 1994 are just as real … just as raw … just as horrifying. [...] We are working for a new age of accountability by striving to make real the principle of responsibility to protect.
2014 Commemorations — 20th Anniversary
International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda
Events — New York
Memorial Ceremony
Economic and Cocial Council Chamber
United Nations Headquarters, New York.
- Secretary-General — Message
- Secretary-General — Remarks
- 10 April: Secretary-General — Message for ICTR Commemoration
- Photos & Flickr Album
- Video Clips
Around the world
Commemorative and educational activities were organized by UN information centres around the world, including in (among others):
- Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Brazzaville, Congo
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Lusaka, Zambia
- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Rabat, Morocco
- Rome and Genova, Italy
- Teheran, Iran
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Windhoek, Namibia
- Yerevan, Armenia
Commemoration in Kigali — Rwanda
Ceremony
7 April 2014
Amahoro ("peace") National Stadium
Kigali, Rwanda
On 7 April 2014, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon participated in the commemoration in Kigali, Rwanda. The event took place in Kigali’s National Stadium Amahoro (“peace”) where, in 1994, thousands of Rwandans sought refuge.
Speakers
- Secretary-General — Remarks [English & French]
- Secretary-General — Remarks following the meeting with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame
- Secretary-General — Remarks at Ceremony Honouring UN Staff Victims of Rwanda Genocide
Ban Ki-moon — 20th Anniversary (Kigali, Rwanda)
(00:10:21)
Event Details — New York
Memorial Ceremony
16 April 2014
Economic and Cocial Council Chamber
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers
- H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General | Message | Remarks | Remarks [English & French] | Video Clip
- H.E. Ms. Simona-Mirela Miculescu, Vice-President of the UN General Assembly and Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN
- H.E. Mr. Eugène-Richard Gasana, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN and Minister in Charge of Cooperation
- H.E. Mr. Téte António, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the UN
- H.E. Ms. Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the UN
- Mr. Kizito Kalima, Survivor
- Music by The Ben, Rwandan singer
Moderated by Mr. Maher Nasser, Director, Outreach Division; Officer-in-Charge, UN Department of Public Information.
Organized by the UN Department of Public Information and the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations.
Annual Commemoration - NYC
(00:57:01)
Symposium
"The Contribution of Post-Genocide Justice to Reconciliation in Rwanda" — A Symposium
3 June 2014
Economic and Cocial Council Chamber
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers
- H.E. Mr. Vandi Chidi Minah, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Sierra Leone to the UN
- Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs
- Mr. Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN
- Mr. Hassan Boubacar Jallow, Prosecutor of the ICTR
- Ms. Jacqueline Murekatete, NY attorney, human rights activist and survivor of the Rwanda genocide
Moderated by Ms. Jeanne d'Arc Byaje, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN.
Organized by the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations with the support of the UN Department of Public Information.
Contribution of Post-Genocide Justice to Reconciliation in Rwanda — Symposium
(01:21:35)
Umuganda
'Umuganda' at the UN
— An invitation to unite and pledge to save our planet!
2 June 2014
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers
- Ms. Consolée Nishimwe, survivor of the Rwanda genocide
- Mr. Jamil Ahmad, Deputy Director, UNEP-NY
- H.E. Mr. Collin Beck, Permanent Representative of the Solomon Islands to the UN
Special Guests
- Students from the High School of World Cultures, Bronx, NY
- Ms. Emily Cavanagh, singer: "Dark was the night"
- Ms. Jaqueline Murekatete, genocide survivor
Moderated by Ms. Jeanne d'Arc Byaje, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN.
Organized by the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations and the UN Environment Programme with the support of the UN Department of Public Information.
Umuganda at the UN
(01:35:02)
Kwibuka20
Launch of Kwibuka20
— Remember - Unite - Renew
27 February 2014
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers
- H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
- H.E. Mr. John W. Ashe
, President of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly - H.E. Mr. Eugène-Richard Gasana, Minister of State in Charge of Cooperation and Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the UN
- Dr. Gerald Caplan, Author of "Rwanda: the Preventable Genocide"
- Ms. Immaculée Ilibagiza, Survivor of the 1994 genocide and author of "Left to Tell"
Moderated by Mr. Jean-Baptiste Rudatsikira, President of the New York and New Jersey Rwandan Community.
Organized by the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations and the UN Department of Public Information.
Launch of Kwibuka20
(01:23:52)
World Interfaith Harmony Week
Engaging Religions in the Prevention of Genocide
05 February 2014
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers
- Mr. Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide
- H.E. Mr. Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations
- Dr. Carol Rittner, RSM, Distinguished Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and author of "Genocide in Rwanda: Complicity of the Churches?"
- Ms. Consolee Nishimwe, Rwandan genocide survivor and author of "Tested to the Limit: A Genocide Survivor's Story of Pain, Resilience and Hope"
- Rabbi Roger Ross, Chair of the Board and CFO of the International Seminary for Interfaith Studies, United Religions Initiative UN Representative
- Mrs. Hanifa Mezoui, Senior Advisor, Office of the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations
Organized by the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the United Religions Initiative, the Partnership for Global Justice, and the UN Department of Public Information.
Engaging Religions in the Prevention of Atrocity Crimes
(01:34:34)
Panel Discussion
— Special Event
"Genocide - A Preventable Crime"
15 January 2014
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers
- Mr. Jan Eliasson, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General
- Mr. Romeo Dallaire, Senator, Canada; former Force Commander for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
- H.E. Mrs. Mathilde Mukantabana, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the United States
- Ms. Eugenie Mukeshimana, Rwandan survivor of the genocide
- Mr. Stephen Smith, Executive Producer, Kwibuka 20 (20th anniversary commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide)
- Mr. Simon Adams, Executive Director, Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect
Organized by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Kwibuka, the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the UN, and the UN Department of Public Information.
Genocide: A Preventable Crime — Panel Discussion
(01:54:55)
Event Details — Global
Antananarivo
Madagascar
On 7 April, UNIC Antananarivo organized an event at Lycée Privée Rasalama to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. Media members, students and professors participated in debates and workshops. Students held a discussion on the lessons learned from the genocide while reading excerpts of the book "Tugire Ubumwe".
On 25th April, the Remembrance Ceremony was held followed by a debate on the failed UN intervention, colonial discriminative policies, the reconciliation process and the development in Rwanda.
Brazzaville
Congo
UNIC Brazzaville presented a mobile exhibition from 7 to 11 April 2014 in five public and private high schools in Brazzaville.
Around 1,500 students read the panels and were briefed on the necessity of preventing racism and intolerance.
Dhaka
Bangladesh
Together with the University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS), UNIC Dhaka observed the 20th anniversary of Rwanda genocide by holding a seminar, candle lighting, poetry recitation, drama performances and a poster exhibition at UITS premises.
Speakers included the Pro-Vice Chancellor of UITS, as well as poets Muhammad Samad, Shihab Sarkar, Aslam Sani and Kazi Rozi who all recited human rights poems.
Jakarta
Indonesia
On 8 April and for the first time, UNIC Jakarta held a day of remembrance of the victims of the Rwanda genocide.
Speakers included Artanti Wardhani, lecturer at the Department of International Relations at the University of Indonesia; Myrta Kaulard, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Indonesia, who served in the Great Lakes region in 1994; and Haris Azhar, the National Executive Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, also known as KontraS.
Lusaka
Zambia
From 7 to 9 April, the United Nations in Zambia embarked on an educational outreach tour in Kitwe at the Copperbelt University (CBU), the Dag Hammarskjöld Institution for Peace Studies (DHIPS) and the Ndola National Technical High School for Girls.
More than 4,500 students, young adults, faculty members and other non-academic staff who were interested in learning about the Rwanda genocide participated.
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
On 12 April, UNIC Ouagadougou organized an official ceremony which included a march with candles titled “Hope for Rwanda”, testimonies of survivors, and the showing of a video produced by the government of Burkina Faso.
Also, an exhibition of photos, posters, films, booklets and international texts related to genocide was opened to more than 8,000 visitors.
Rabat
Morocco
On 4 April, in collaboration with UNERMA (Union of Rwandan students and interns in Morocco), UNIC Rabat held a presentation on the history of Rwanda, the history of genocide and the concept of "responsibility to protect."
On 11 April jointly with Rabat-Agdal University (Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Economique et Sociales Rabat-Agdal) and UNERMA, UNIC Rabat held another event under the theme "Rwandan genocide, 20 years later : What are the lessons and the prospects?" Guests speakers were Miloud Loukili and Mohamed Brahimi, both professors at Rabat-Agdal University; Khalid Chegraoui, historian, anthropologist, professor at the Institute of African Studies; and Yamine Yamani, Professor at the National Institute of Statistics.
Rome and Genova
Italy
UNRIC/Italy desk commemorated the 20th anniversary in collaboration with the Italy based NGO “BeneRwanda” and jointly with Rome Municipality, the Rwandese consulate in Italy, the Rwanda diaspora and the Budapest Center for the International Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities.
Speakers included Yolande Mugakasana, genocide survivor and civil rights activist, and Staffan De Mistura, former UN high-ranking and current Italian Government official.
A similar event took place in Genova (northern Italy), organized by the local municipality in collaboration with the local civil society. The event included the screening of the documentary "The night of Rwanda" in the presence of the director, a genocide survivor himself.
Teheran
Iran
In cooperation with the Iranian International Studies Association (IISA), UNIC Teheran on 9 April organized a seminar at Resaneh (Media) Cultural Centre.
Speakers included UN Resident Coordinator Gary Lewis; IISA member and Gilan University political science professor Dr. Reza Simbar; and the IISA Chairperson Dr. Arsalan Qorbani.
Nairobi
Kenya
The United Nations Information Centre in Nairobi commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide in collaboration with the Rwanda High Commission. UN staff, Rwanda community, friends of Rwanda, Permanent representatives, University students and the Kenya government representatives participated in various events.
Speeches to mark the day were delivered before a solemn audience by Ms. Yamina Karitanyi, High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to Kenya, and Ambassador Ruth Solitei, Chef de Cabinet, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kenya while Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas UNDP Resident Co-ordinator, delivered the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message.
Windhoek
Namibia
On 7 April, UNIC Windhoek took the opportunity to visit 7th grade students at the Holy Cross Convent in Windhoek, to educate them about the atrocities committed during the events of 1994.
The educational initiative included a video screening of survivor testimonies from the Survivors Fund (SURF) website. During the 10 minute video screening, the 50 students ages 11 - 13, watched attentively and sympathised when the survivors gave their testimonies on genocidal acts that they experienced.
Yerevan
Armenia
Students participated at the Model UN in the National Library. Discussions focused on rules and procedures of the Security Council on the prevention of genocide, punishment of those responsible within the framework of the international law, support of survivors; and the students spoke about the concepts of humanitarian intervention and responsibility to protect.
The United Nations Information Centre in Yerevan, commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide in collaboration with the United Nations Depository Library and three new partners-Universities: the European Educational Academy, the Public Administration Academy of Armenia and the Armenian State University of Economics. 60 selected students and professors participated in 5 training sessions – 1 in the UN House, 1 in National Library and 1 in each of the Universities. The thematic session (Genocide issue at the UN, Convention of Genocide and R2P) was led by the Head of Human Rights Division at the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
More Video Clips
Secretary-General's Remarks — New York
(00:06:26)
Kwibuka 20 — Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda
(00:21:56)
Remember, Unite and Renew — UNOG Observance
(01:23:44)
7 billion Others
(00:01:59)
Rwanda, 20 Years Later
(00:01:33)
Kwibuka 20 - Walk To Remember — Night Vigil
(03:16:07)