PURPOSE: The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed on 27 January marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and is meant to honor the holocaust victims. The purpose of the Day is two-fold: to serve as a date for official commemoration of the victims of the Nazi regime and to promote Holocaust education throughout the world. Holocaust remembrance and education that includes opportunities to develop a deeper appreciation of the victims and survivors and their agency, can inform our response to the plight of contemporary victims. Placing the victims and survivors in the centre of historical research, learning and remembrance illuminates the humanity of victims of atrocities today, and the impact of antisemitism fuelled by disinformation and the distortion of history. Focusing on the humanity of the victims prompts us to remember our humanity, and our responsibility to combat hate speech, combat antisemitism and prejudice - to do all we can to prevent genocide.
FORUM: “Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust". International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 2024. During the Holocaust, the Nazis went to great lengths to dehumanize their victims. Defying the Nazis took extraordinary courage. In 2024, the United Nations is paying tribute to the bravery of all those who stood up to the Nazis, despite the grave risks. We will honor their legacy with their remarkable stories and history. In the memory of all victims and survivors, we will step up our efforts to counter Holocaust denial, antisemitism and racism. Share your reflections with the hashtags: #27January, #HolocaustRemembranceDay.
COMMEMORATIONS: on 26 January 2024, 11:00 a.m. EST will be held the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony central event organized in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust 2024 at the United Nations General Assembly Hall. Survivors of the Holocaust will share their testimonies along with invited speakers who include the United Nations Secretary-General; the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly (through recorded message); the Permanent Representative of Israel and a representative of the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations.. The Holocaust Memorial Ceremony will be hosted by Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. Invited speakers include the Permanent Representative of Israel and the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Watch at UN WebTV, YouTube and X.
From 22 January to 23 February 2024 will be held an exhibition entitled “Fighting for the Whole World" – Lower Saxony under Nazi Rule at the Visitors' Lobby, United Nations Headquarters. This exhibition traces how events unfolded from 1933 to 1945 in what is today’s state of Lower Saxony, Germany. How the Nazi regime shaped society in Lower Saxony to reflect Nazi ideology, the state-sanctioned crimes, state-fomented violence and intimidation, and responses to the actions of the state and its agents, reflects the experience across Germany and in occupied territories. A closer look at Lower Saxony illuminates the larger history of the Holocaust and expands our knowledge and awareness of the experiences of all who were caught up in the history.
On Tuesday, 27 February 2024 will be held a Book Talk entitled “The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles during the Holocaust" - 1:00 p.m. EST at UN Bookshop, United Nations Headquarters. Jewish mathematician Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg operated in Lublin, headquarters of Aktion Reinhard, the SS operation that murdered 1.7 million Jews in occupied Poland. Masquerading as a Polish aristocrat, the “Countess” persuaded SS officials to release thousands of Poles from Majdanek concentration camp. She secured permission to deliver food and medicine for thousands more inmates, and she smuggled supplies and messages to incarcerated resistance fighters. Incredibly, she eluded detection, survived the war, and emigrated to the United States. Join co-authors Elizabeth B. White and Joanna Sliwa as they discuss how they pieced together Dr. Mehlberg's history and ask why so little about this unrecognized hero is known by the broader public. Elizabeth B. White is the former Research Director for the Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Joanna Sliwa is the historian at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Statements
Remarks by Ambassador Michèle Taylor United States Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council.
Remarks by Ambassador Richard Mills Deputy Representative to the United Nations.
Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust 2024.
Messages
Remarks by the President of the 78h session of the General Assembly, at the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony 2024.
Message from Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
The Holocaust commemorative and educational activities will draw attention to the actions taken by Holocaust survivors in the immediate years following the devastation and brutality of the Holocaust, to reclaim their rights, their history, their cultural heritage and traditions, and their dignity.
PODCASTS: 2024 Holocaust Remembrance and Education. On January 27th, we will commemorate the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Listen the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: "Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust". is the slogan of this year; Explore the poster. Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE IT?
Safeguarding the historical record, remembering the victims, challenging the distortion of history often expressed in contemporary antisemitism, are critical aspects of claiming justice after atrocity crimes. Each celebrations encompasses these concerns.
ACTIONS
The role played by institutions and individuals in supporting survivors, the long-reaching impact of the Holocaust on survivors’ families, and the impact of the Holocaust on the shaping of human rights policy and interventions will be explored.
PARTNERS
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme is an expression of the unwavering commitment of the United Nations to promoting human rights, to countering antisemitism and racism, and to preventing future genocide.