27 January is the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.
UNA-UK is calling on its members to support the 'Speak up, speak out' campaign run by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.This year, the UN is focussing on the children of the Holocaust in its commemorative events, both those killed and orphaned, and the impact of mass violence on younger generations.
In his message to mark the day, UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to the 1.5m children who lost their lives in the Holocaust and noted that children remain "uniquely vulnerable to the worst of humankind”, as witnessed daily by the UN’s humanitarian offices worldwide.
In 2005 the General Assembly adopted resolution (A/RES/60/7) which established the International Day of Commemoration and also set up the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme. The resolution reaffirmed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts everyone’s right to lead their lives in dignity, and recalls the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The Outreach Programme works through the United Nations Department of Public Information to disseminate educational material on the Holocaust in order to help prevent future acts of genocide. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization also works closely with the Secretary-General in promoting remembrance and combating Holocaust denial through educational activities. A further General Assembly Resolution, 61/255, calls on all Member States to reject any denial of the Holocaust.
UNA-UK’s Peace and Security Programme Coordinator, James Kearney, recently gave a talk at the Raphael Lemkin Seminar for Genocide Prevention held at Auschwitz, Poland. A full report is to follow in the next issue of New World online.
