Time: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Conference room 2, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Contact: HolocaustRemembrance@un.org
Holocaust denial and distortion dismisses the irrefutable and established facts that the Holocaust happened and belittles the suffering of the victims and survivors of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis and their accomplices. Denial and distortion of history is an important tool in the arsenal of hate speech. Hate speech encourages the dehumanization of individuals and groups and is used to justify discrimination and other acts of violence. 2020 marks 75 years since the end of the Second World War, and the Holocaust, yet antisemitism continues to occur. This briefing will provide an historical overview of Holocaust denial and distortion, will explore measures being taken to identify and counter denial, distortion, and hate speech, and why this matters. The panellists include Ms. Simona Cruciani and Ms. Maria Westergren, United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, Dr. Robert Rozette, Director of the Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center; Dr. Tad Stahnke, Director of International Outreach, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; and Dr. Sara Brown – The Centre for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education. The discussion will be moderated by the Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.
2020 Holocaust Remembrance
“75 years after Auschwitz - Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice”
2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the ending of the Second World War, and the ending of the Holocaust. 2020 also marks the establishment of the United Nations, formed in response to atrocity crimes of the Holocaust and the Second World War, with the aim of building a world that is just and peaceful. Acknowledging the milestone year, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme has chosen as the theme for Holocaust education and remembrance in 2020, "75 years after Auschwitz - Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice". The theme reflects the continued importance, 75 years after the Holocaust, of collective action against antisemitism and other forms of bias to ensure respect for the dignity and human rights of all people everywhere.