UNITED NATIONS TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION ON 1994 GENOCIDE IN RWANDA, 7 APRIL

Note to Correspondents

UNITED NATIONS TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION

ON 1994 GENOCIDE IN RWANDA, 7 APRIL

On Wednesday, 7 April, commemorative events will be taking place in Kigali, Dar-es-Salaam, New York and Geneva, as well as other capitals around the globe.  In Kigali, Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari will represent the United Nations at the ceremonies.  In New York, there will be a meeting of the General Assembly, and high-level panel discussions will be held in New York and Geneva.

In Geneva, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will address a special one-hour commemorative meeting being held within the framework of the sixtieth session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.  The Secretary-General will make an important speech which will address the prevention of genocide.  His speech will be made following two minutes of silence which will be observed at   12 noon (Geneva time).  The Secretary-General’s speech will be webcast at the following address:  http://www.un.org/webcast/.

Special Events at UN Headquarters

A number of events to observe the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda are planned at UN Headquarters in New York.

Observance of One Minute of Silence on 7 April

The Secretary-General has announced that on 7 April at 12 noon local time, the United Nations will observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the genocide, and he has invited Member States to do the same.  At the Memorial Conference on the Rwanda Genocide, organized by the Governments of Canada and Rwanda at the United Nations in New York on 26 March 2004, the Secretary-General stated:  “Such a minute of silence has the potential to unite the world, however fleetingly, around the idea of global solidarity ...  I would like to urge all people, everywhere, no matter what their station in life, whether in crowded cities or remote rural areas, to set aside whatever they might be doing at noon on that day, and pause to remember the victims.”

General Assembly Meeting Commemorating the Genocide in Rwanda

The President of the General Assembly has announced that a meeting commemorating the 1994 genocide in Rwanda will be held on 7 April, at 10 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall.  United Nations accredited media are invited to attend.  The President of the Security Council and the Deputy Secretary-General are expected to participate.  At 12 noonNew York time, the Assembly will observe a minute of silence to remember the victims of the genocide in Rwanda.

Event for Staff

The ceremony for staff will begin at 11:45 a.m. with a march by the staff around the circle in front of the SecretariatBuilding.  The Secretary-General’s representative will join and lead the march.  The march will proceed to the Japanese garden next to the Peace Bell, where the Secretary-General’s representative will call on the staff to observe a minute of silence.  The minute of silence, to be observed at 12 noon, will begin and end with the Secretary-General’s representative ringing the Peace Bell.  Accredited media are invited to attend.

Panel Discussion in Economic and Social Council Chamber

A panel discussion, entitled:  “A Decade after Rwanda:  The United Nations and the Responsibility to Protect”, will take place in the Economic and Social Council Chamber from 1 to 3 p.m.  The panel will be chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, who will make the opening remarks.  There will be brief presentations by panel members, to be followed by a question-and-answer session.  Panellists will include Major General Henry Kwami Anyidoho, former Deputy Force Commander, United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR); Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada; Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Director, New York Office, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Samantha Power, Harvard University, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Problem from Hell:  America and the Age of Genocide”; and Mohamed Sahnoun, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General.  The event will be webcast live at: http://www.un.org/webcast.  Media affiliated with the United Nations are invited to attend.

Photo Exhibit

A photo exhibit to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda is on display in the Visitors’ Lobby until 15 April.  The exhibit, entitled “Through the Eyes of Children:  The Rwanda Project”, began as a photographic workshop in 2000.  It was conceived by photographer David Jiranek, and inspired by the founder of the Imbabazi Orphanage, Rosamond Carr, an American woman living in Rwanda for over 50 years.  Using disposable cameras, the children originally took pictures for themselves, exploring their community and their own vision as the country struggles to rebuild. The exhibit provides a unique look at Rwanda and at the lives of the children affected by the genocide a decade later.

General Assembly Mandate for International Day

The decision to declare 7 April 2004 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda stems from a recommendation made by the Executive Council of the African Union.  In March 2003, the Council recommended that the United Nations and the international community proclaim, in commemoration of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, an international day of reflection and recommitment to the fight against genocide throughout the world.  On 23 December 2003, the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/58/234, mandating on 7 April the observance of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.  That resolution “encourages Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant international organizations, as well as civil society organizations, to observe the Day, including special observances and activities in memory of the victims of the genocide”.  The resolution also calls upon all States to act in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide so as to ensure that there is no repetition of events of the kind that occurred in Rwanda in 1994.

Journalists without UN credentials should fax a letter of assignment to (212) 963-4642, with a follow-up call to the UN Media Accreditation Unit at   (212) 963-6934.  For UN TV coverage, call (212) 963-7650.

For further information, please contact Julie Thompson at the Department of Public Information, telephone: (212) 963-4295, fax: (212) 963-4556, e-mail: thompson2@un.org.

For information on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, visit the following Web site:  http://www.un.org/events/genocide.

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