Through resolution 58/234, adopted in 2003, the UN General Assembly designated April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutu, over roughly one hundred days of violence — one of the darkest chapters in modern history. The day honors the memory of the victims and the resilience of survivors, while drawing lessons from this tragedy to help prevent its recurrence anywhere in the world. The United Nations uses the occasion to stress the importance of early vigilance against hate speech and ethnic incitement, and the need to strengthen early-warning mechanisms and international action to protect civilians from mass atrocities. Rwanda commemorates the anniversary with a national week of mourning beginning April 7, including memorial ceremonies and visits to genocide memorial sites, while the UN and its agencies hold educational events worldwide examining the history of the genocide and ways to prevent future ones, reaffirming the international community's commitment to the principle of the "Responsibility to Protect."