Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against
the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations

International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Documents

War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, Including Genocide

• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
• Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity
• Principles of international co-operation in the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity
• Statute of the International Tribunal for Rwanda

Humanitarian Law

• Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
• Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
• Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I)
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II)

General Assembly Documents

Resolutions

• Resolutions on Rwanda
• Resolutions on genocide
• Resolutions on the responsibility to protect
• Resolutions on sexual violence in conflict

Other Documents

• General Assembly documents on Rwanda
• General Assembly documents on genocide
• General Assembly documents on the responsibility to protect
• General Assembly documents on sexual violence in conflict
• 2005 World Summit Outcome

Security Council Documents

• Report of the Independent Inquiry into the actions of the United Nations during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda (1999)

Presidential Statements

• Presidential statements on Rwanda
• Presidential statements on genocide
• Presidential statements on the protection of civilians in armed conflict

Resolutions

• Resolutions on Rwanda
• Resolutions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict
• Resolutions on sexual violence in conflict

Human Rights Council Documents

• Documents on Rwanda
• Documents on genocide
• Documents on the responsibility to protect

Secretary-General Documents

Reports of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly

• Reports to the General Assembly on Rwanda
• Reports to the General Assembly on genocide
• Reports to the General Assembly on the responsibility to protect
• Reports to the General Assembly on sexual violence in armed conflict

Reports of the Secretary-General to the Security Council

• Reports to the Security Council on Rwanda
• Reports to the Security Council on genocide
• Reports to the Security Council on the responsibility to protect
• Reports to the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict
• Reports to the Security Council on sexual violence in armed conflict

Reports of the Secretary-General to the Human Rights Council

• Reports to the Human Rights Council on genocide
• Reports to the Human Rights Council on the responsibility to protect

Statements/Speeches

• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call on all people to join UN in drive to stamp out ‘weapon’ of racism, which is used to undermine peace, engender fear and incite war crimes (20 March 2012)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Human Rights Council in Geneva (25 January 2011)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s address to Stanley Foundation Conference on the Responsibility to Protect (18 January 2012)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s statement to the Security Council open debate on sexual violence in conflict (16 December 2010)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s statement to the ministerial meeting on Security Council Resolution 1325: A Call to Action (25 September 2010)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to Security Council open debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict (7 July 2010)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on the global effort to increase the participation of women in United Nations policing in peacekeeping operations (4 June 2010)
• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the sixteenth commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide (5 April 2010)

Other Documents

Key Reports

• Report of the United Nations Development Fund for Women on the activities of the Fund to eliminate violence against women (December 2009)
• "A More Secure World" by the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change (December 2004)
• The Responsibility to Protect (2001)

Backgrounders

• Backgrounders on justice and the reconciliation process in Rwanda; preventing genocide; the responsibility to protect; and on sexual violence used as a tool of war.
• Assessment/early warning tools
• Guidance Note: When to refer to a situation as "genocide"
• Plan of Action for Religious Leaders

Judicial Archives of the ICTR

M. Jean Paul Akayesu: Bourgmestre of the Taba commune during the 1994 genocide. He was the first convicted by the international court and his conviction was amended to include rape and sexual violence as crimes against humanity

• Judgement of Jean Paul Akayesu
• Appeal Judgement of Jean Paul Akayesu
• Listen to the audio files of the Judgement and Witnesses' testimonies

M. Jean Kambanda: Prime Minister of the interim government of the Republic of Rwanda on 9 April 1994. He was convicted to life in prison in 1998 and it was the first time a head of government was convicted for the crime of genocide

• Appeal Judgement of Jean Kambanda
• Judgement and Sentence of Jean Kambanda
• Listen to the audio files of the Appearance and Judgment

M. Andre Rwamakuba: Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in Rwanda during the genocide

• Judgement of Andre Rwamakuba
• Listen to the audio files of Appearance and Plea

Media Case (2003): first judgment since the conviction of Julius Streicher at Nuremberg after World War II to examine the role of the media in the context of international criminal justice

• Appeals Judgements of Ferdinand Nahimana, Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza, Hassan Ngeze
• Judgement and Sentence of Ferdinand Nahimana, Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza, Hassan Ngeze