Director-General's remarks at the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of 
the Victims of the Holocaust

“Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust”

Friday, 26 January 2024, at 13:00

Room XVIII, Palais des Nations

Dear Ms. Martha Raviv [Holocaust survivor],

Ambassador Eilon Shahar [Permanent Representative of Israel],

Ambassador Knudsen [Head of the Permanent Delegation of the European Union],

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for joining this commemoration. Every year on 27 January, we honour the memory of the six million Jewish men, women, and children, as well as over 500,000 Roma and Sinti, and other targeted groups and individuals, who perished in the horror of the Holocaust. Every year on this day, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to counter antisemitism, racism and other forms of intolerance.

The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust.” Time is relentless: Holocaust survivors are dwindling with each passing year, and it is our duty for the future generations to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. The United Nations Office at Geneva remains committed to providing a platform for survivors to share their memories. Today, I feel extremely honoured to welcome Ms. Martha Raviv, whose father was imprisoned and later murdered in the gas chamber in Bernburg. I wish to thank her for being with us today and for bearing witness so that others may learn from her remarkable courage and resilience.

The Holocaust profoundly affected countries in which Nazi crimes were perpetrated. It also had global implications and consequences in other parts of the world. Therefore, Member States share a collective responsibility for addressing the residual trauma and promoting greater awareness, eight decades after the Holocaust. This responsibility entails educating citizens about the root causes, consequences and dynamics of such crimes, and to strengthen the resilience of young people against ideologies of hatred. 

In January 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution entitled “Holocaust denial”, which urged Member States and social media companies to take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion in cyberspace, including through educational programmes. Education is indeed one of the best tools at our disposal to prevent all forms of intolerance and discrimination, to defend fundamental freedoms and to ensure that human rights are respected everywhere.

The annual commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust at the Palais des Nations is an important part of the United Nations Holocaust Outreach Programme. With our partners, we will continue to develop and implement activities aimed at countering Holocaust denial and distortion, and educate future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust.

Despite history’s harsh lessons, we live today in a world of global disruption in trust and human solidarity. Hate speech has been a precursor to many atrocity crimes, including genocide. As it is often said, genocide is a process, not an event. The Holocaust did not start with the gas chambers, it started with hate speech. Xenophobic and racist discourse, both offline and online, represent the scourge of our times. 

It is our shared responsibility to combat hate speech. We can and must raise awareness about its dangers. We must work collectively to prevent and end it in all its forms. The United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, launched in 2019, is our comprehensive framework for tackling the causes and impacts of hate speech, in line with international human rights standards.

The United Nations Working Group on Hate Speech, comprised of 16 UN entities, UN Country Teams and UN peace operations and political missions around the world, is fully mobilized to implement activities based on this Strategy and Plan of Action. Education initiatives, positive speech campaigns, research to understand and address root causes, and efforts to promote inclusion and equal rights all have an important role in our joint efforts. 

The work is also underway to develop a voluntary code of conduct for information integrity on digital platforms, aimed at reducing the spread of mis- and disinformation and hate speech, while protecting freedom of expression. Ahead of the Summit of the Future next September, I encourage Member States, technology companies and other relevant stakeholders to support the United Nations’ work in this direction.  

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the UN Secretary-General António Guterres just reminded us, “today – especially in the wake of the abhorrent 7 October terror attacks by Hamas – we must resolve to stand up against the forces of hate and division”.   

At the time when geopolitical divides are hampering efforts to address global threats, combating all forms of hatred and intolerance requires greater solidarity and a firm commitment from all of us to promote a culture of peace. Let me quote Viktor Frankl, world-famous author and psychotherapist, as well as Holocaust survivor, who once said: “the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each of us does his best.”

So, today, let us commit to do our best. Let us increase our joint efforts to rebuild trust, to promote inclusive, just and peaceful societies, and to protect the rights and dignity of all, everywhere. Our world is multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious. And this diversity is a richness, not a threat. 

Thank you for your attention.