The United Nations and Genocide
”Preventing genocide is a collective responsibility. Only by meeting this challenge can we match the resolve of the survivors and truly honour the memory of those who died in Rwanda 20 years ago.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, United Nations
The United Nations is strongly committed to learning the lessons of the Rwandan genocide and helping the international community to prevent future tragedies. The Secretary-General’s Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect monitor the world for signs of atrocity crimes. UN tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, combat impunity, deliver justice for the victims and serve as a deterrent to future crimes. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda indicted some 95 persons for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, many of them key organizers of the 1994 genocide who are now serving prison sentences. A new initiative by the secretary-general, called “Rights Up Front”, strives to improve UN action to safeguard human rights around the world.
The Outreach Programme on the Rwanda Genocide and the United Nations, established by the UN General Assembly in 2005, works to disseminate the lessons of Rwanda in order to help prevent future acts of genocide, and to raise awareness of the lasting impact of genocide on the survivors.
? 2014 United Nations