"On Holocaust Remembrance Day let us reassert our commitment to human rights"~ UN Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani
27 January 2021
Holocaust Remembrance Day took place in Accra under the auspices of the Embassies of Israel and Germany and the United Nations in Ghana.
On the occasion of the commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, which feel on January 27, 2021, the United Nations reaffirms its resolve to uphold human rights & encourages people everywhere to eschew bigotry, hatred & prejudice to prevent the recurrence of #Holocaust. Speaking at an event in Accra to mark the Day, the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Charles Abani, said in his speech, "Remembering the atrocities of the holocaust together and working together to ensure these never happen again is befitting and the way to go" adding that "we must reassert our commitment to human rights, collectively stand up against racism, discrimination and violence and most importantly, we must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations commit and take tangible actions to respect and value human rights and peace."
In a panel discussion, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr. Joseph Whittal and Mr. Abani discussed the relevance of the commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance within the local context. Mr. Whittal for his part highlighted the dire implications of denying the rights of certain groups of people in a societies for what they stand for. He called for the need to infuse the lessons learnt from the Holocaust into school curricula for instance to imbue in young people a sense of tolerance and respect for diversity.
The Ambassador of the Embassy of Israel, HE Shani Cooper, in a passionate statement said she looked forward to the observation of Holocaust Remembrance Day as a national event in Ghana.
The German Ambassador, HE Christoph Retzlaff noted that our the Holocaust reminds us that our mutual coexistence depends on our shared humanity and as such the "Holocaust cannot and will not be forgotten in its monstrous singularity."
A Jewish, 85-yr-old Betty Eppel spent some time with the audience via zoom to recount his experience as a child.