United Nations Security Council Resolution 935
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
935, adopted unanimously on July 1, 1994, after recalling all resolutions on Rwanda
, particularly 918
(1994) and 925
(1994), the Council requested the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
to establish a Commission of Experts to investigate violations of international humanitarian law
during the Rwandan Genocide
.
The Council stressed the need for the early deployment of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
so that it could fulfill its mandate. Statements by the President of the Security Council
and Secretary-General concerning violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda were recalled, with the Council noting that only a full investigation could establish the facts of what occurred and therefore determine responsibility. A visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
and the appointment of a Special Rapporteur
for Rwanda was welcomed.
Concern was expressed at the continuing reports of systematic killings in Rwanda, including reports of genocide
, and noting those responsible for the acts committed should be brought to justice. In this regard, the Council requested that the Secretary-General establish an impartial Commission of Experts to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and report to the Secretary-General. All states and international organisations were urged to collect information in a similar manner to the Commission of Experts and additionally on breaches of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
, making the information gathered available within 30 days of the adoption of the present resolution.
The Secretary-General was requested to report to the Council on the establishment of the Commission of Experts and to report on its findings within four months. The Secretary-General was also required, along with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to make information submitted to the Special Rapporteur for Rwanda available to the Commission. All concerned were urged to co-operate with the Commission in order for it to accomplish its mandate.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
935, adopted unanimously on July 1, 1994, after recalling all resolutions on Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, particularly 918
United Nations Security Council Resolution 918
United Nations Security Council Resolution 918, adopted without a vote on May 17, 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Rwanda, particularly resolutions 872 , 909 and 912 , the Council expressed its alarm and condemnation at the continuing large-scale violence in the country...
(1994) and 925
United Nations Security Council Resolution 925
United Nations Security Council Resolution 925, adopted unanimously on June 8, 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Rwanda, particularly resolutions 912 and 918 , and Resolution 868 on the safety of United Nations peacekeepers, the Council deployed additional battalions and...
(1994), the Council requested the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
to establish a Commission of Experts to investigate violations of international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
during the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
.
The Council stressed the need for the early deployment of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
The United Nations Assistance Mission In Rwanda was a mission instituted by the United Nations to aid the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed August 4, 1993, which were meant to end the Rwandan Civil War. The mission lasted from October 1993 to March 1996...
so that it could fulfill its mandate. Statements by the President of the Security Council
President of the United Nations Security Council
The President of the United Nations Security Council is the presiding officer of that body. The president is the head of the delegation from the Security Council member state that holds the rotating presidency.-Selection:...
and Secretary-General concerning violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda were recalled, with the Council noting that only a full investigation could establish the facts of what occurred and therefore determine responsibility. A visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948...
and the appointment of a Special Rapporteur
Special Rapporteur
Special Rapporteur is a title given to individuals working on behalf of the United Nations within the scope of "Special Procedures" mechanisms who bear a specific mandate from the United Nations Human Rights Council....
for Rwanda was welcomed.
Concern was expressed at the continuing reports of systematic killings in Rwanda, including reports of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, and noting those responsible for the acts committed should be brought to justice. In this regard, the Council requested that the Secretary-General establish an impartial Commission of Experts to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and report to the Secretary-General. All states and international organisations were urged to collect information in a similar manner to the Commission of Experts and additionally on breaches of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 as General Assembly Resolution 260. The Convention entered into force on 12 January 1951. It defines genocide in legal terms, and is the culmination of...
, making the information gathered available within 30 days of the adoption of the present resolution.
The Secretary-General was requested to report to the Council on the establishment of the Commission of Experts and to report on its findings within four months. The Secretary-General was also required, along with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to make information submitted to the Special Rapporteur for Rwanda available to the Commission. All concerned were urged to co-operate with the Commission in order for it to accomplish its mandate.
See also
- History of RwandaHistory of RwandaHuman occupation of Rwanda is thought to have begun shortly after the last ice age. By the fifteenth century the inhabitants had organized into a number of kingdoms...
- International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaInternational Criminal Tribunal for RwandaThe International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 901 to 1000 (1994–1995)
- Rwandan Civil WarRwandan Civil WarThe Rwandan Civil War was a conflict within the Central African nation of Rwanda between the government of President Juvénal Habyarimana and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front...
- Rwandan GenocideRwandan GenocideThe Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
- United Nations Observer Mission Uganda–Rwanda