The United Nations(UN)’s International Day Of Reflection On The 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda is annually observed across the globe on 7th April to recognise the importance of combating impunity for all violations that constitute the crime of genocide.
The day recalls the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda and remembers the victims of the genocide.
7th April 2021 marks the 27th anniversary of the start of the genocide.
The commemoration of 2021 is organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) and the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education, with the Permanent Delegation of Rwanda to UNESCO, in partnership with Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC).
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/58/234 designated the 7th April 2004 as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda.
ii.April 2004 marked the 10th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
iii.The UNGA adopted the resolution A/72/L.31 on 26th January 2018 and amended the title of the annual observance as “International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda”
Why 7th April?
7th April marks the start of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda.
1994 Rwanda Genocide:
i.The 1994 Rwanda Genocide was started by the shooting down of President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane on 6th April 1994.
ii.During the Rwanda Genocide which lasted 100 days, the people of the Hutu ethnic group killed around 800000 Rwandans mostly Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Note:
Rwanda mourns the genocide, which begins with Kwibuka(remembrance) on 7th April and concludes the mourning with Liberation Day on 4th July.
Events:
The United Nations organises various events at its Headquarters and UN Offices across the globe.
Outreach Programme:
i.The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/60/225 on 23rd December 2005 and established an informational and education outreach programme.
ii.UN Department of Global Communications runs the outreach programme.
iii.On 20th April 2020, the UNGA requested the Secretary-General to modify the title of the outreach programme to “outreach programme on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations”
Aim:
To mobilise civil society for Rwanda genocide victim remembrance and education to prevent future acts of genocide.
