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| You are here: 2004 / Other Activities / Reception at the Stockholm City Hall / Address by the Prime Mininster of Sweden, Göran Persson | |||||||||
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Participants Countries and organizations Conference documentation Conference programme 
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Address by the Prime Mininster of Sweden, Göran Persson Address by Professor Samantha Power Address by the Minister of Justice of Canada, Irwin Cotler Address by the Prime Mininster of Sweden, Göran Persson Persson, Göran Address at the Stockholm City Hall by Göran Persson, Prime Mininster of Sweden Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Guests, Welcome to this legendary City Hall in Stockholm. I shall not make another long speech here this evening. Just lend me a few minutes before I present to you our keynote speakers for tonight. Just before dinner, a book arrived by special delivery. It is a memorial book for the victims of the Rwandan genocide. In a few weeks it is the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan tragedy. And as President Kagame rightly pointed out this morning "reconciliation does not come through forgetting the past, but in understanding" it. We have offered all Heads of Delegations gathered here, to sign it. We have signed it as an act of solidarity, of commemoration of the Rwandan victims and of commitment to genocide prevention. Throughout the year leaders around the world will do the same, until the book finally reaches the Memorial Center in Kigali. This reminds me of another book that I came across some time ago. It has one of the longest titles I have seen. But it is a title that makes an immediate impact, a title you do not forget. It alludes to witness accounts from Rwanda, and it reads: ”We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families” These words form the first lines of a letter, a letter with a final plea. From people who see their hope for survival fading away. To people who will ignore every cry for help. The day after seven priests had sent the letter to the supreme authority of their church, the murderers came. They came in lorries to the village church hospital, where thousands of children and old people, women and men, had sought refuge. The trap snapped shut on them. Just a handful survived. Their crime? They were Tutsis in Rwanda, in April 1994. Reading this testimony, one cannot help wondering: What did we do in April 1994? What did I do? What did you do? Why did we do so terribly little? * * *
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Together, during this first day of the Stockholm International Forum, we have taken steps towards improved awareness and better tools for preventing genocide. I am pleased that already many tangible proposals have been made, such as the two important proposals presented by Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan. To set up a UN Committee on the Prevention of Genocide. And to establish a Special Rapporteur who will report, both to the Security Council and to the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Tomorrow morning we will continue in the same spirit. * * *
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is now my great honour to introduce to you, tonight's two keynote speakers: Professor Samantha Power of Harvard University, and the recently appointed Minister of Justice of Canada, Professor Irwin Cotler. Thank you. >> Back to top |
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Introduction Opening Session Plenary Sessions Workshops, Panels and Seminars Closing Session and Declarations Other Activities |
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| For information about this production and the Stockholm International Forum Conference Series please go to www.humanrights.gov.se or contact Information Rosenbad, SE-103 33 Stockholm, Sweden | |||||||||