International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Genocide (December 9)

The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is observed every year on December 9. It honours the victims of genocide, recalls the obligation of every state to prevent it, and marks the anniversary of the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations.

The Genocide Convention

Adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1948 — one day before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — the Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. States that ratify it commit to prevent and punish genocide. More than 150 states are parties.

Raphael Lemkin and the Word “Genocide”

Lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who lost dozens of family members in the Holocaust, created the word in 1944 by combining the Greek genos (people, race) and the Latin -cide (killing). He campaigned tirelessly until the Convention was adopted.

Remembering Victims

The international community formally commemorates several genocides recognised by international courts or the UN, including the Holocaust (remembered on January 27), the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (April 7), and the 1995 Srebrenica genocide (July 11). The day also reminds us that prevention means acting on early warning signs — hate speech, discrimination and targeted violence — long before atrocities occur.

How to Observe the Day

• Learn about the history of genocide and the warning signs that precede it.
• Visit a memorial or museum, or explore online resources.
• Challenge hate speech and dehumanising language.
• Support organisations that protect civilians and help survivors.

👉 Also December 9: International Anti-Corruption Day

👉 Human rights: Human Rights Day — December 10

Warning Signs and Prevention

The UN Office on Genocide Prevention uses a Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes to identify risk factors early. These include:

• Serious and widespread human rights violations.
• Hate speech and dehumanising language against a group.
• Systematic discrimination and exclusion.
• Weak state institutions and impunity for past crimes.
• Armed conflict or political instability.

The Responsibility to Protect

At the 2005 World Summit, all UN member states accepted the “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P): each state must protect its people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and the international community should help and, when necessary, take collective action through the UN Security Council.

Related Days of Remembrance

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