Director-General's message for the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide 
against the Tutsi in Rwanda

Tuesday, 7 April 2026, at 4.00 p.m.
Assembly Hall, Palais des Nations

Delivered by Ms. Kira Kruglikova, Director, Division of Administration, United Nations Office at Geneva

Ambassador Bakuramutsa, [Permanent Representative of Rwanda],
Mr. Murangira [President of IBUKA],
Mr. Rurangwa [Survivor],
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, who is regrettably unable to be with us in-person today, it is a great honour to join you in marking the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.  

I extend my sincere gratitude to the Permanent Mission of Rwanda for co-organizing this commemoration with us, and for continuing this important tradition at the Palais des Nations.

Every year, we come together in Geneva to honour the victims, stand in solidarity with survivors, and recognize the remarkable resilience of the people of Rwanda in rebuilding their lives and their country.

It is now my privilege to share with you the message of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on this solemn occasion.

Thirty-two years ago, Rwanda endured one of the darkest chapters in human history. In just 100 days, more than a million people were murdered – primarily Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide. Entire families were brutally erased.

On the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, we mourn the victims and honour their stolen dignity. We pay tribute to the survivors, whose resilience shows the strength of the human spirit. And we recall, with humility and shame, the international community’s failure to heed warnings and take immediate lifesaving action.

It’s not enough to remember the dead. 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 deepen community resilience; and by strengthening institutions that help prevent mass atrocities. I call on all countries to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay – and to implement it fully.

The United Nations stands with the people of Rwanda. And we stand with all those, everywhere, who refuse to surrender our future to fear, division, or silence. 

Let this day reaffirm our commitment to remember, to listen, and to act. With history as our guide, and the prevention of genocide as our goal.

That concludes the message of the Secretary-General. 

I now invite you to hear directly from the Director-General through a video message. 

Ambassador Bakuramutsa [Permanent Representative of Rwanda],
Mr. Murangira [President of IBUKA],
Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

As recalled in the Secretary-General’s message, thirty-two years ago, Rwanda endured one of the darkest chapters in human history.

This genocide did not occur in a vacuum. It was the culmination of a sustained process of dehumanization, in which individuals were persecuted simply for who they were. The legacy of this genocide continues to resonate today. We are witnessing a troubling rise in stigmatization, racism and xenophobia in many parts of the world. These dynamics are increasingly amplified through digital platforms, which facilitate the spread of disinformation, hate speech and incitements to violence.

In this context, prevention is more urgent than ever. It requires robust legal frameworks, effective early warning mechanisms and sustained investment in education. It also requires both collective and individual action. Each and every one of us has a role to play in speaking out against hatred and intolerance, and in demonstrating – through our words and actions – that our shared humanity is stronger than the forces that seek to divide us. Across the United Nations system, including through the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, efforts continue to strengthen the protection of populations from genocide and other crimes against humanity, as well as their incitement.

One of the most powerful ways to learn from the past is to listen to those who experienced it. Today we have the opportunity to hear a personal testimony from a survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to our speaker for the courage and generosity shown in sharing this experience with us. Such testimony is a profound reminder of the human costs of these atrocities and reinforces our collective responsibility to ensure that they are never repeated.

Ladies and gentlemen,

On this solemn day, remembrance and reflection must go hand-in-hand with action. Let us reaffirm our commitment to upholding the dignity, equality and rights of every member of our human family, and to ensuring that the atrocities experienced by the people of Rwanda are never repeated.

Thank you for your attention.   

That concludes the message of the Director-General.

Thank you.