“On this day of remembrance, let us commit to being vigilant and working together to build a world of justice and dignity for all, in memory of all the victims and survivors of the genocide in Rwanda,” declares the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, during the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, observed this April 7, 2025.
It was April 7, 1994, the start of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, perpetrated by the extremist Hutu government.
As a reminder, over one million members of the Tutsi minority were systematically murdered in 100 days. Moderate Hutu and other opponents of the massacres were also killed during this period.
UNESCO is implementing mechanisms to promote the teaching of genocides as a tool to raise awareness of the causes, dynamics, and consequences of such crimes and to strengthen resilience against all forms of discrimination.
“Today, we mourn the one million children, women, and men massacred during the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994,” stated the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
He condemned “this appalling chapter in the history of humanity.” For him, it was intentional, premeditated, and planned, fueled in particular by hate speech that served to incite discord and spread lies, and contributed to dehumanization. “The victims were overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also included Hutu and others who opposed the genocide.”
Mr. Guterres took advantage of this day to express his outrage at how these crimes originated. Thus, he invites everyone to reflect on how they resonate today.
“We must learn the lessons of the dark chapter of the genocide in Rwanda and act to stem the tide of hate speech, prevent disunity and discontent from turning into violence, uphold human rights, and ensure the application of the principle of accountability,” he asserted.
Consequently, Mr. Guterres urges all States to uphold “the commitments they have made within the framework of the Global Digital Compact to combat online lies and hatred, to honor their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and to become parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide without further delay.”
