Turning Remembrance Into Action: Marking the 12th Anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide in Geneva

To mark the 12th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, Nadia's Initiative and the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Geneva brought together survivors, Member States, UN officials, and international organizations for a commemoration at the Palais des Nations on July 30. 

Nadia Murad and fellow survivors of conflict-related sexual violence spoke about the unfinished work of justice, and why survivors must be at the center of efforts to shape accountability and recovery. Their remarks anchored a discussion with senior UN officials and Member State representatives on the vital work that is yet to be done.

The program also included opening remarks from the Permanent Representative of France and the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, along with a short commemorative video reflecting on the August 2014 attacks and their continuing impact. 

A photo exhibition featured Yazidi women and children who remain missing, putting faces and names to those who have not returned — and to the families still searching for answers. Twelve years after ISIS attacked Sinjar, more than 2,000 Yazidis remain missing, families are still displaced, and communities are still working to rebuild their homes, schools, and livelihoods.

Commemoration matters, but it is not enough. The international community must turn remembrance into action: prosecuting perpetrators, locating and identifying the missing, supporting Sinjar's reconstruction, and ensuring a survivor-centered approach to recovery. Survivors are not asking for sympathy. They are asking for justice. Nadia's Initiative remains committed to working alongside survivors, governments, and partners until that work is finished.