The Secretary-General: Message for the International Day of Commemoration & Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & the Prevention of this Crime

For information only - not an official document

UNIS/SGSM/1555
4 December 2025

The Secretary-General

9 December 2025

Genocide is an abomination. It is a horrendous crime. And it is the solemn duty of all States to prevent and punish it.

This is the pledge the world made with the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide - a pledge to ensure that no group risks eradication due to their nationality, ethnicity, race or religion.

We promised 'never again'. Yet that vow is perilously close to being broken in too many places. Violent conflicts, lack of accountability, and digital technologies that amplify hate and misinformation all make it easier for the spectre of genocide to rear its head.

States bear the primary obligation for preventing and punishing genocide, and I call on governments that have not yet done so to accede to the Convention. I also urge all governments to fully implement the Convention and hold perpetrators to account.

But prevention is a shared responsibility. It requires educating new generations about the factors that lead to genocide, including hate speech, inequality and mis- and disinformation. It also means doing everything possible to identify early warning signs and sound the alarm. Community leaders, civil society, and the media - including social media platforms - all have a moral duty to act.

By standing united against this heinous crime, we honour its victims and survivors, and uphold the most fundamental promise of our international community: the right of all people to live in safety, dignity, and peace.

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