Paris, Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, will travel to Rwanda from April 5 to 7 to partake in the 30th-anniversary commemorations of the genocide against the Tutsis. Her visit aims to underscore UNESCO’s commitment to educating new generations about historical atrocities, in light of the recent addition of Rwandan genocide memorial sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Azoulay’s schedule includes a visit to the Murambi Memorial on April 6, where she will engage with survivors and site managers. The memorial, a site of mass murder during the genocide, gained UNESCO World Heritage status in September 2023 alongside Nyamata, Gisozi, and Bissero Memorials, acknowledged for their contribution to national reconciliation and historical education.

Azoulay’s visit will also feature the presentation of the official World Heritage List inscription certificate to the Rwandan government. On April 7, she will join the official genocide commemoration events in Kigali, starting with a ceremony at the Gisozi Memorial, followed by a gathering in Kigali Arena, expected to draw around 10,000 participants.

In parallel, UNESCO’s Paris headquarters will host a memorial ceremony, complemented by global commemorations in 10 major cities, illuminating monuments in remembrance of the genocide victims. This global participation reflects UNESCO’s broader mission to memorialize the genocide against the Tutsis, which claimed nearly a million lives.

Since 2015, UNESCO, in collaboration with Rwanda, has been integrating genocide education into school curricula, supporting local education through training, resources, and international exchanges, including with countries like Cambodia that have faced similar tragedies. A network of local mediators, established with UNESCO’s aid, focuses on community and youth education about the genocide.

Furthermore, UNESCO’s educational initiatives extend to its International Programme on Education about the Holocaust and Genocides, active in 23 countries in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, aiming to prevent future atrocities through education and remembrance.