Every year, on or around that date, the United Nations organizes commemorative events at its Headquarters and at UN offices around the world.
2020 marks the 26th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, one of the darkest chapters in human history. More than one million people – overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also moderate Hutu, Twa and others who opposed the genocide – were systematically killed in less than three months. On this Day, we honour those who were murdered and reflect on the suffering of those who survived.
Jacqueline Murekatete
A lawyer, human rights activist and founder of the nonprofit organization Genocide Survivors Foundation, Ms. Murekatete lost her entire immediate family and most of her extended family to the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda when she was 9 years old.
H.E. António Guterres on the Anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (7 April 2020)
Dealing with the past is dealing with the present, it is dealing with the future. Adama Dieng, UN Special Advisor on Preventing Genocide.
On justice and the reconciliation process; preventing genocide; the responsibility to protect; and on sexual violence used as a tool of war.
Judicial audio archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda providing valuable insight.
Since the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the United Nations has been a fundamental partner in the reconstruction of Rwanda. In 2008, Rwanda was selected with seven other countries to implement a new UN strategy called "Delivering as One" or "One UN."
Collectively, the eight countries (Rwanda, Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay, and Viet Nam) have volunteered to "Delivering as One" agreeing to work within the UN system, capitalizing on the strengths and comparative advantages of the different agencies of the UN family. The countries are experimenting with ways to increase the UN system's impact through more coherent programmes, reduced transaction costs for governments, and lower overhead costs for the UN system.
Currently, 16 resident and eight non-resident agencies work in Rwanda. Between 2013-2018, the One UN Rwanda has budgeted around US$411 million to assist the country in its development.
ONE UN Rwanda >>
IOM aids Rwandan returnees from Tanzania. © IOM.
Innocente Nyirahabimana
"I disowned my family to get a chance to survive and they all died. I was 12."
35 Children: Visual & Aural Narratives
In an effort to understand and define the underlying tone of the first post-genocide generation in Rwanda, children (ranging in age from 6 to 15) were asked to draw pictures that portrayed them engaging in an activity with someone they respect.
Jean-Marie Vianney Hitimana
Jean-Marie is one of 12 participants (including orphans, widows, rape and assault survivors, young students and a gacaca judge) who documented their day-to-day life, hopes, dreams and memories as part of the "Visions of Rwanda" photography project.
800,000
800,000 are the pages in 2500 books displayed in 100 crates: one page for each victim, one crate for each day of the genocide. The books were hand-bound through the collaboration of the "800,000" team, six high schools, and three groups of volunteers.
