Decision on the 10th Anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · African Union (AU)
Citation
EX.CL/Dec.16 (II)
Regional Body / Author
Executive Council of the African Union
Date
6 March 2003
Language
English
Type
Decision
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DECISION ON THE 10th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE

The Executive Council:

  1. RECALLS Decision CM/Dec. 409 (LXVIII) adopted by the 68 th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers and approved by the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in July 1998, by which the Assembly established the International Panel of Eminent Personalities (IPEP) to investigate the genocide in Rwanda and surrounding events;

  2. FURTHER RECALLS the official launching of the IPEP report entitled “The Preventable Genocide” by the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU held in Lome, Togo, by which the Assembly requested the Secretary General to actively pursue implementation of the recommendations of the Report;

  3. REAFFIRMS the principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, particularly, the prohibition of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity;

  4. STRESSES the imperative need for the African Union to ensure enforcement of the provisions of the Constitutive Act, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in order to ensure that genocide never occurs again on the Continent;

  5. DECIDES that 7 April 2004, the 10th Anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, be commemorated by the Commission as a day of remembrance of the victims of the genocide in Rwanda, and reaffirmation of Africa’s resolve to prevent and fight genocide on the Continent;

  6. CALLS UPON all Member States and civil society organizations to publicize the anniversary and commemorate 7 April as a day of reflection on the tragedy of Rwanda and of commitment to the prevention of genocide in the Continent through appropriate activities;

  7. RECOMMENDS to the United Nations and the international community at large to take appropriate steps to commemorate 7 April 2004 as a day of reflection and recommitment against genocide in the world;

  8. REQUESTS the Chairperson of the Commission to monitor the full implementation of the IPEP Report, disseminate the present decision and report to the Executive Council on the outcome of the remembrance day.

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