The United Nations was founded in 1945 out of the ashes of World War II. As the world discovered the magnitude of the Nazi atrocities, the international community realized the necessity of an organization such as the United Nations that would ensure that such barbarism and inhumanity never occurred again.The lessons of the Holocaust remain paramount in the global struggle to eradicate anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance. As such, the Permanent Mission of Israel continues to work with the United Nations to promote Holocaust remembrance and education.
In 2005, Israel sponsored –– along with the United States, Russia, Australia, Canada, as well as the support of the European Union –– General Assembly Resolution 60/7 entitled “Holocaust remembrance.” The landmark resolution offers concrete steps to preserve the memory of the Holocaust while wholly rejecting –– either in full or in part –– any denial of the Holocaust. It was a significant development for an organization that draws much of its founding ethos of “never again” from the horrors of the Holocaust.
The resolution directed the United Nations Office of Public Information to establish “The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme” that has become one of the crown jewels of UN educational and outreach efforts. The Programme creates broad initiatives that promote the development of educational programmes on the subject of the Holocaust and the lessons learned for Member States as well as civil society.
Every year on 27 January, The United Nations commemorates the international day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. This event is an important and somber gathering that not only honors the memory of the victims of Nazism, but also serves to remind the international community of the threat posed by genocide and crimes against humanity.
Following the adoption of resolution 60/7, the General Assembly took another major step towards preserving the memory and history of the Holocaust when it adopted Resolution 61/255 that condemned, in whole or in part, any form of Holocaust denial.
For more information, and to visit the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, please click here.
