Kigali — The United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has paid tribute to 64 UN staff, brutally killed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, expressing deepest condolences to relatives and friends they left behind.

"Their names and memories will always be here - as they will in your hearts", said the Secretary General in a solemn commemorative ceremony held at UNDP compound in Kigali.

The UN Secretary General laid a wreath at plaque erected to honor the memories of the UN staff members who lost their lives in the genocide. He said that "We must not be left to utter the words 'never again', again and again".

Over the course of 100 days (April-July 1994), an estimated one million men, women and children were killed and 250,000 women were raped. Those were days so black and ghastly of 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

20 years later, on April 7, Rwanda and the world commemorate.

"A profoundly moving day of reflection, remembrance and renewal for the people of Rwanda and, indeed, the international community," in these words, the U.N. Secretary-General described the day.

"We honor their lives through remembrance and reflection, but also through doing everything that we can to improve protection, response, and safeguarding populations from genocide and other atrocities," he said.

The Secretary General added that one of the lessons from Rwandan genocide was a new policy obligating UN representatives to stay on the ground in times of trouble - and never abandoning staff when lives are threatened. "We stick together - we stay together. That is our pledge to Rwanda and the world" he said. He also called UN staff to speak up, even if it may offend and Act whenever they see people at risk of atrocity crimes.

"Do not wait for instructions from afar. Our first duty must always be to protect people - to protect human beings in need and distress," he emphasized.

Mr. Ban praised Rwanda's progress saying that from despair, rises a country of hope and growing prosperity.