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

27.01.2016 - The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is observed today, 27^th January. 

The international community chose this date to mark the liberation of the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945), featured in the pictures below.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the Holocaust as a “colossal crime” in his 2016 message for the occasion. “By remembering the victims and honouring the courage of the survivors and those who assisted and liberated them, we annually renew our resolve to prevent such atrocities and reject the hateful mentality that allows them,” he adds. 

The Secretary General’s remarks provide a crucial reminder of how the events of the past have a resounding present relevance, and highlights the critical role of the UN in taking action and serving those most in need.

“From the shadow of the Holocaust and the cruelties of the Second World War, the United Nations was established to reaffirm faith in the dignity and worth of every person and to uphold the rights of all to live in equality and free from discrimination.” - Ban Ki-moon, January 2016

Pause. Reflect. Make Peace Permanent.

 “The Holocaust will forever remain a terrible scar on the human conscience,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in a statement released from Geneva. “Its hideous reality of planned and deliberate mass murder must lead us to deep reflection on the roots and spread of such violence.”

“People worldwide – including millions fleeing war, persecution and deprivation – continue to suffer discrimination and attacks. We have a duty to remember the past – and to help those who need us now.”  - Ban ki-Moon, January 2016

“On this day of Holocaust remembrance, I urge everyone to denounce political and religious ideologies that set people against people. Let us all speak out against anti-Semitism and attacks against religious, ethnic or other groups. Let us create a world where dignity is respected, diversity is celebrated, and peace is permanent”  - Ban Ki-moon, January 2016

For more than a decade, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme has worked to educate young people about the Holocaust. The Holocaust Programme works closely with Holocaust survivors to ensure that their stories are heard and heeded as a warning against the consequences of anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination. 

As a part of a week of commemorative events at Headquarters in New York, a ceremony will be held in the General Assembly hall with speakers to include the Secretary General. Ms. Barbara Winton will open a video tribute to her father, Sir Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 Jewish children from Nazi slaughter in Czechoslovakia.  

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UNRICs Related Links

· The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme’ 

· Holocaust Remebrance at the UN 

Photo Credit

· UN Photos