Every State, Every Part of Society ‘Must Deliver on Promise’ to Promote Human Rights, Says Secretary-General, Commemorating 1994 Rwanda Genocide

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly on the thirty-first commemoration of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, in New York today:

We come together in sorrow to mourn the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, to stand with their families and with survivors, to reflect on how these appalling crimes became possible and to recommit to do everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again.

The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi is a chilling chapter in human history.  And it occurred at terrifying speed.  In just 100 days, some 1 million children, women and men were killed — the overwhelming majority Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide.

This was not a spontaneous frenzy of horrendous violence.  It was intentional.  It was premeditated.  It was planned, including through the hate speech that inflamed division and spread lies and dehumanization.  And it was the product of a collective failure to act.

In the years since, Rwanda has made an extraordinary journey towards reconciliation, healing and justice.

This terrible period of Rwanda’s history reminds us that no society is immune from hate and horror.  And as we reflect on how these crimes came about, we must also reflect on resonance with our own times.  These are days of division.  The narrative of “them” versus “us” is increasingly polarizing societies in the Great Lakes region and around the world.

Digital technologies are being weaponized to inflame hate, stoke division and spread lies.  Across the Internet we see an alarming array of racism, misogyny and genocide denial.   We see conspiracies, untruths and deep fakes spread at an alarming pace.  We must stem the tide of hate speech and stop division and discontent mutating into violence.

The Global Digital Compact, agreed by countries last year, made important commitments to tackle falsehoods and hate.  I urge countries to implement it in full.  And above all, we all must act, to prevent human rights violations.  And to hold those who commit them to account. 

We must invest in prevention — in sustainable development and the promotion, protection and respect for all human rights.  To help build prosperous, peaceful, equitable and just societies.  And all States must comply with their duties and obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

I call on all countries to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay.  And to honour the responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Every State, and every part of society, must deliver on the promise enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to promote the human rights and dignity of all.

The United Nations — founded in the aftermath of genocide — stands with all countries in these efforts.  In this, our eightieth year, we recommit to the purposes and principles on which we were founded:  the equality, dignity and worth of every member of our human family.

And on this day of remembrance, let’s all of us commit to be vigilant, to act, and to work together to build a world of justice and dignity for all — in honour of all the victims and survivors of the genocide in Rwanda.