UNITED Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to take a firm stand against rising intolerance in different countries.
Guterres also called for caution against acts that can trigger genocide as the world commemorates the 29th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
“We mourn the more than one million children, women and men who perished in 100 days of horror 29 years ago,” Guterres said in his message to mark the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which falls on April 7 every year.
A generation since the genocide, the world must never forget what happened, and ensure future generations always remember, he said.
Guterres underscored the need to remember how easily hate speech turns to hate crime and how complacency in the face of atrocity is complicity, calling hate speech “a key indicator of the risk of genocide”.
The UN chief stressed the importance of preventing serious violations of international law, including genocide, which he described as a shared responsibility and a core duty of every member of the United Nations.
“Together, let us stand firm against rising intolerance,” he said.
“Let us be ever vigilant, and always ready to act.”
It would be recalled that in December 2003, the UN General Assembly designated April 7, which marked the start of the 1994 genocide, as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda.
In 2018, the Assembly amended the title of the annual observance to the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.