"Never again": UN Resident Coordinator a.i. on the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

Your Excellency, Shaikha Aisha Bin Saqer Al Khalifa,

Your Excellency, Ambassador Eitan Na'eh,

Your Excellency, Ambassador Kai Boeckmann,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

It is a privilege to be with you all today. 

In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/7, marking the 27th of January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

The resolution was a stark reminder of the atrocious and heinous acts of the Nazi regime and its collaborators that resulted in the calculated, cold blood, and systematic murder of 6 million Jews, Roma and Sinti, and countless other victims.

A third of the world's Jewish population at the time perished during the Holocaust, 1.5 million of whom were children.

As recently stated by our Secretary-General, the Holocaust defined the United Nations as our very name was coined to describe the alliance fighting the Nazi regime and its allies.

Our Charter was drafted in San Francisco as the Dachau concentration camp was liberated.

"Genocide", a term coined in the aftermath of these unspeakable events, was recognised as a crime under international law in 1946 by the United Nations General Assembly.

The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention) codified genocide as an independent crime.

Excellencies, 

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen

Today, we come together to remember and honour the victims of the Holocaust and promise never to forget them. We will never forget what happened nor let it be forgotten by others.  

Also, we must never forget that the Holocaust could have been prevented. But the desperate pleas of the victims fell on deaf ears. Too few spoke out, too few listened – fewer still stood up in solidarity.

Remembering the past is crucial to safeguarding the future. This is particularly relevant today as the world witnesses an alarming resurgence of xenophobia, racism, stigmatisation, intolerance, and hate, including antisemitism. No society is immune to irrationality or intolerance.

The United Nations must always be on the frontline of the fight against antisemitism and all other forms of religious bigotry and racism. They expose us to deepening injustices, fueling social inequalities, and further violations of human rights.

Confronted with this disturbing reality, let us commit never to be indifferent to the suffering of others. Let us pledge always to be vigilant and uphold human rights and dignity for all. 

This month, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution against Holocaust denial.

The resolution illustrated the crucial role of governments, NGOs, and media in promoting tolerance and fighting racism and xenophobia.

The vote by the Member States on the 20th of January comes precisely 80 years after the infamous Wannsee Conference.

Mr Arnold Clevs, 

Your presence today is essential.

You will speak on behalf of the millions who were silenced and have never been able to testify.

Today, we honour the victims by fathoming to the implications history holds for us as we try to build a just and peaceful world for all. 

Today, together, Mr Clevs, we vow never to forget. Never again.

Thank you.