UN Annual Holocaust Commemoration: Memory, Dignity and Justice

Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications will host the virtual ceremony. Invited speakers include United Nations Secretary-General; the President of the 76th session of the General Assembly; the Permanent Representatives of Israel and the United States and children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Professor John K. Roth will deliver the keynote address. The ceremony will include testimonies from the Holocaust survivors from Canada, Israel, South Africa and the United States. Mr. Pinchas Zukerman and Mr. Shai Wosner will perform a musical piece. Memorial prayers will be recited.

In 2022, the theme guiding the United Nations Holocaust remembrance and education is "Memory, Dignity and Justice". Holocaust commemoration and education is a global imperative in the third decade of the 21st century. The writing of history and the act of remembering brings dignity and justice to those whom the perpetrators of the Holocaust intended to obliterate. Safeguarding the historical record, remembering the victims, challenging the distortion of history often expressed in contemporary antisemitism, are critical aspects of claiming justice after atrocity crimes. The theme encompasses these concerns.

Holocaust commemorative and educational activities will draw attention to the actions taken by Holocaust survivors in the immediate years following the devastation and brutality of the Holocaust, to reclaim their rights, their history, their cultural heritage and traditions, and their dignity. The role played by institutions and individuals in supporting survivors, the long-reaching impact of the Holocaust on survivors' families, and the impact of the Holocaust on the shaping of human rights policy and interventions will be explored. The theme encourages action to challenge hatred, strengthen solidarity and champion compassion. The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme is an expression of the unwavering commitment of the United Nations to promoting human rights, to countering antisemitism and racism, and to preventing future genocide.

View the live program here.