International Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is observed annually on 27 January to honour the victims of the Holocaust. The day marks the genocide carried out by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945, which resulted in the systematic murder of one-third of the world’s Jewish population alongside millions of individuals from other minority groups, in the regime’s attempt to implement the so-called “Final Solution.”
The date of 27 January coincides with the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Red Army in 1945, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp.
The Holocaust claimed the lives of six million Jews, representing two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population, as well as millions of others, including Roma, disabled individuals, and political prisoners. In recognition of this tragedy, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005, designating 27 January as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The resolution urges all UN member states to honour the victims, promote education about the Holocaust, and work to prevent future genocides. It also condemns Holocaust denial, religious intolerance, and acts of harassment or violence based on ethnicity or religion.
Many countries observe their own Holocaust memorial days. In the United Kingdom, Holocaust Memorial Day also falls on 27 January, while Israel and many Jewish communities observe Yom HaShoah on 27 Nisan of the Hebrew calendar.
Resolution 60/7, initiated by the State of Israel, highlights the twofold purpose of the observance: to remember those who were murdered during the Holocaust and to educate future generations about its horrors.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasised in 2008 that the day is not only about remembrance but also a reminder to safeguard human rights and ensure that future generations understand the lessons of history:
“We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history. We must apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today’s world. And we must do our utmost so that all peoples may enjoy the protection and rights for which the United Nations stands.”
International Holocaust Remembrance Day serves as a solemn reminder of the consequences of hatred and intolerance and reinforces the global commitment to human rights, education, and vigilance against discrimination and violence.
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