“Dark chapters in human history may go by different names – Holocaust, Holodomor, Medz Yeghern – and may have occurred in different places – Cambodia, Rwanda, Armenia – but those dark chapters have too much in common: the crime against humanity that is genocide.
“In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the world adopted a pact to prevent genocide and punish those who commit this heinous crime. That pact is the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the ‘Genocide Convention’). In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established Dec. 9 as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.
“On this solemn day, we pause to honour the victims of genocide. We recommit ourselves to upholding the equality and dignity of all. As intolerant and xenophobic ideologies gain foothold around the world, it is more important than ever that we remain vigilant against the hatred, racism and incitement to violence that leads to the ultimate crime against humanity.
“Justice demands no less.”