Statement delivered at the Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorative event held in Accra

Welcome to the United Nations premises and to this solemn and important event. International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is an important UN Day, done annually in partnership with Israel and Germany to keep vigilance and bear witness to the catastrophe and atrocities that can engulf us all when, through silence and complicity, our humanity collapses. 

Eighty years ago, apathy, dehumanization and hatred won! The cries for help of six million Jews and millions of others went unanswered, and instead were brutally silenced during the Holocaust. It is a dark chapter in our history, one we should never forget, because it was a human tragedy that affects us all and it continues to remain an existential threat. The Holocaust serves as a haunting reminder of the dangers of unchecked hatred, intolerance, discrimination and the need for unwavering vigilance against prejudice and hate speech. 

The theme of this year's commemoration, “Holocaust remembrance and education for dignity and human rights" reflects the critical relevance of Holocaust remembrance for the present and for the world, where the dignity and human rights of our fellow global citizens are under daily attack. It is a clarion call for collective action to ensure respect for dignity and human rights, and the international laws that protect both. The Holocaust reminds us that when human rights; whether based on race, religion, ethnicity, or other differences, are violated, the dignity of all humanity is at risk. This lesson is as relevant today as it was eight decades ago and a sad yet powerful reference of the need to educate future generations of the dire consequences of when we lose our humanity.

Additionally, and in an era of digitalization and social media, disinformation and mis-information have become a cancer that threatens to distort the facts of the Holocaust. A 2022 report conducted by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) indicates that, 16.2% of Holocaust-related content on major social media platforms denies or distorts the fundamental facts. When we allow such distortion to persist, we risk undermining the very foundation of human rights and enabling the resurgence of discrimination in all forms as well as desecrating the memory of the victims. We need to safeguard the facts; we need to safeguard history in order to honour of the victims of the Holocaust.

As we honour the victims of the Holocaust, we must also recognize the resilience and courage of the survivors. We must acknowledge the sacrifices made by those who bravely risked their lives to save others, those who stood up against oppression. And we must recognize and applaud the courage of the survivors – not just the dwindling number who lived through this horror – but also the generations who have been impacted by this scar on humanity. Our remembrance must not be limited to the past. We must also acknowledge the ongoing struggles, prejudice, violence, and systemic discrimination threatening the dignity and safety of vulnerable populations and of marginalized communities around the world. We must recognize and resist, with all our might, the rise of antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia, and we must take action to combat these evils. Let us draw strength from this history to challenge such injustices and stand firm in defending human rights globally.

Today, as we gather to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance, I stand before you to appeal to you all, to your conscience, - to make personal vows to be advocates against antisemitism, and for human rights and dignity in order to also safeguard future generations and to spread that commitment virally across the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly permit me to read the UN Secretary General’s message for the day. 

“This year marks the eightieth anniversary of the Holocaust’s end. We mourn the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, as they sought to destroy an entire people. 

We grieve the Roma and Sinti, the people with disabilities, and all others enslaved, persecuted, tortured, and killed.  We stand alongside victims, survivors and their families.  And we renew our resolve never to forget. 

To allow the Holocaust to fade from memory would dishonour the past and betray the future. 

Remembrance is a moral act. And a call to action. 

To know the history of the Holocaust is to know the depths to which humanity can sink… 

To understand how the Nazis were able to commit their heinous crimes, with the complicity of others… 

And to comprehend that each of us has a solemn duty – to speak-up against hate, and to stand-up for the human rights of all. 

Following the hell of the Holocaust, countries came together. And they enshrined the dignity of every person in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

In dark times, that document remains a shining light. 

Eighty years since the Holocaust’s end, antisemitism is still with us – fuelled by the same lies and loathing that made the Nazi genocide possible. 

And it is rising. Discrimination is rife... Hate is being whipped-up the world over…

Indisputable historical facts are being distorted, diminished, and denied…

And efforts are being made to recast and rehabilitate Nazis and their collaborators. 

We must stand up to these outrages.

In these days of division – and more than a year since the appalling 7th October terror attacks by Hamas – we must hold fast to our common humanity.  We must condemn antisemitism – just as we must condemn all forms of racism, prejudice and religious bigotry. 

And we must renew our resolve to defend the dignity and human rights of all. Those causes go to the very core of the United Nations. 

We will never forget – and we will never waver in that fight.”

Beyond the normal commemoration and cognizant of our real context today, permit me also to quote excerpts from the message of Miguel Angel Moratinos Cuyaube, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations when he said on 25th January this year at the Park East Synagogue in New York that (and I quote):

“At this somber occasion, I want to acknowledge that more than a year has passed since the appalling 7th October terror attacks by Hamas. We welcome, at long last, the ceasefire and hostage release deal. The deal offers hope as well as much needed relief. The United Nations will do our utmost to ensure it leads to the release of all hostages and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza”

We must build forward with positive actions – so that never again can this be allowed to happen. The United Nations has launched the Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism – building on the Outreach Programme on the Holocaust (UNGA Resolution 60/7) and focused on awareness, education, commemorative actions, strengthening civic action and amplifying the UNESCO GA Resolution 61 which condemns Holocaust denial actions. The UN commits to deepen this work into all of its work.

Let me also appreciate the efforts of the Republic of Germany and especially the generosity of the Israeli people in using this memorial to expand and broaden our understanding of the catastrophic impacts of hatred even here on our continent. By sharing this experience – here in Accra and beyond – we all in Africa have an opportunity to learn from the experience of Israel and others and build a united front – with clear actions - to stand together against antisemitism and discrimination and for universal human rights.

Thank you for listening and thank you for coming to this important, solemn event.