UN in Ghana hosts Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025

In a solemn and reflective ceremony, the Embassy of Israel and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, in partnership with the United Nations in Ghana and partners have marked Holocaust Remembrance Day, paying tribute to the millions who lost their lives during the Holocaust. The event, held at the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, brought together government officials, members of the diplomatic community, civil society groups, and students to honor the memory of the victims and reinforce the commitment to combating antisemitism, racism, and intolerance worldwide.

This year’s commemoration, themed “Holocaust Remembrance and Education for Dignity and Human Rights,” emphasized the critical relevance of Holocaust remembrance in today’s world, where the dignity and human rights of individuals are under constant threat. The theme underscored the ongoing global need to address these challenges through education and collective action.

In his address, the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Ghana, Mr. Charles Abani, reflected on the importance of the day and emphasized the need to acknowledge the ongoing struggles of marginalized and vulnerable populations worldwide. “While we remember those lost in the Holocaust, we must also recognize the prejudice, violence, and systemic discrimination still threatening the dignity and safety of vulnerable communities around the world,” Mr. Abani said. “We must resist the rise of antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia, and take decisive action to combat these evils. Let us draw strength from this history to challenge such injustices and stand firm in defending human rights globally.”

The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, H.E. Roey Gilad, noted that it is the responsibility of the international community to prevent such atrocities from occurring again. “Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, most Holocaust survivors are no longer with us,” and as such we have the responsibility to tell their story, fight the denial of the Holocaust, and fight Antisemitism, Ambassador Gilad said.  

The German Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Daniel Krull, reflected on the events that led to one of humanity's darkest chapters and expressed concern that the world has yet to fully learn the lessons of the Holocaust.

The event also featured a panel discussion moderated by H.E. Roey Gilad, with panelists including, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Dr. Joseph Whittal; the High Commissioner of Rwanda to Ghana, H.E. Rosemary Mbabazi and the Director of African Studies at the University of Ghana. Prof. Samuel Ntewusu. The panel explored the issues of the Holocaust from an African perspective and how the lessons of the Holocaust resonated in contemporary struggles for justice and human dignity on the African continent.