Special Events to Observe International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda
On Wednesday, 7 April 2004, 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 60th 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 12:00 noon (Geneva time). The Secretary-Generals speech will be webcast.
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 12:00 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 10:00 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall.
Members of Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions, Secretariat staff, representatitives of non-governmental organizations, academia and United Nations accredited media are invited to attend. United Nations accredited media are invited to attend.
The Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Louise Fréchette, will address the General Assembly. At 12:00 noon New York time, the Assembly will observe a minute of silence to remember the victims of the genocide in Rwanda.
Event for staff
Staff at UN Headquarters will assemble around the Plaza Fountain in front of the Secretariat Building at 11:45 a.m. The Peace Bell will be rung at 12 noon and staff members will observe a minute of silence.
Panel discussion in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber
A panel discussion, entitled: “A Decade after Rwanda: The United Nations and the Responsibility to Protect”, will take place in the ECOSOC Chamber from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The panel will be chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. 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; Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada; Mr. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Director, New York Office, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Ms. Samantha Power, Harvard University, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide”; and Mr. Mohamed Sahnoun, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General.
The event will be webcast live. Delegates, Secretariat staff and members of civil society and the 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.
