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
“Holocaust remembrance and education for dignity and human rights”

Monday, 27 January 2025 at 1.00 p.m.
Room XVIII, Palais des Nations

Dear Mr. Ivan Lefkovits [Holocaust survivor],
Ambassador Meron [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 to honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Today marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazis’ largest and most lethal concentration and extermination camp.

As the world uncovered the full extent of the Holocaust and the atrocities committed by the Nazis, it vowed to never let such horror occur again. The governments of the world established the United Nations, pledging to work together to build a just world where human rights were enshrined, and all could live with dignity, in peace. The lessons of World War Two and the Holocaust underpin the very values and work of the United Nations, to this day.

And now, every year on 27 January, we meet to remember the six million Jewish women, men and children, and also Roma and Sinti, the people with disabilities, and all others enslaved, persecuted, tortured and killed in the Holocaust. 

The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Holocaust remembrance and education for dignity and human rights”. This theme emphasises how important it is to not let the memory of the Holocaust be lost, and how we must continue educating ourselves and each other about this atrocity in order to uphold the dignity and human rights of all, now and in the future. Education is one of the best tools that we have at our disposal to ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten and never repeated.

It is our duty to maintain the memory of the Holocaust and its victims and survivors, and we are still fortunate to learn directly from – now fewer and fewer – of them.

By paying tribute to Holocaust survivors, we also honour the dignity of those whom the Nazis and their collaborators sought to destroy. 

At the United Nations Office at Geneva, we are committed to providing a platform for survivors to share their memories. Today we welcome to the Palais des Nations Mr. Ivan Lefkovits, a survivor of the Holocaust, to tell us his story. Mr. Lefkovits, it is an honour to have you here. I would also like to take this opportunity to applaud your work on Holocaust remembrance and your dedication to educating the public, especially young people.

Art is also an invaluable way to raise awareness and educate people, and at this point I would like to draw your attention to the stunning tapestry in this room, called El Holocausto. Brought to us for display by OHCHR, this tapestry, woven in Aubusson, France, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, is based on a 1944 mural painted by Mexican artist Manuel Rodriguez Lozano in protest against the Holocaust. This tapestry gives us a striking visual image of the horrors experienced by the victims of the Holocaust.

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

As the UN Secretary-General António Guterres just said, antisemitism, discrimination, prejudice, and misinformation are rife in our world today. Hate-filled discourse, both offline and online, is a scourge of our times. It is only getting worse. And, as we know, hate speech has been a precursor to many atrocity crimes, including genocide. 

We owe it to the victims of the Holocaust and their families to push back against the intolerance and hatred we see in our world today. Diversity is a richness, not a threat. We need greater solidarity, a renewed focus on our shared humanity, and a firm commitment from all of us to promote a culture of peace and human rights.

Eighty years after the end of the Holocaust, remembrance and education remain as important as ever. In an increasingly turbulent world, we must always remember what happens when prejudice is left unchallenged, hate is given a voice, and dignity and human rights are destroyed. It is incumbent upon all of us to reject antisemitism, racism and other forms of prejudice and discrimination, and instead promote tolerance, understanding and peace.

The Holocaust showed us what happens when hatred, dehumanization and apathy win. Let us recommit to “never again”. May today’s commemoration remind us of our shared responsibility to defend the right of all to live with dignity and in peace. 

Thank you.