Director-General's remarks at the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

International Day of Commemoration
in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
27 January 2026 at 1.00 p.m.

Room XVI, Palais des Nations

Dear Ms. Léonie de Picciotto [Holocaust survivor],
Ambassador Meron [Permanent Representative of Israel],
Ambassador D’Urso [Deputy Head of the Permanent Delegation of the European Union],
Excellencies, 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we come together in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. We honour the six million Jewish women, men and children who were murdered, as well as the Roma and Sinti, persons with disabilities, and all others persecuted and killed by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

This commemoration takes place 81 years after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and deadliest of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps. The liberation of Auschwitz marked a profound moment of reckoning for humanity — a moment when the full scale of systematic brutality, industrialized murder and profound moral collapse was laid bare before the world.

In the aftermath of the Second World War and the Holocaust, the international community resolved that such atrocities must never be repeated. It was in this context that the United Nations was established — founded on a shared commitment to peace, human dignity, equality and respect for human rights. The lessons of the Holocaust are deeply embedded in these principles and continue to guide the work of the United Nations to this day.

Each year on 27 January, we do more than remember. We reaffirm our collective responsibility to preserve historical truth, to honour the victims and survivors, and to ensure that memory serves as a safeguard for future generations.

The theme of this year’s observance, “Holocaust remembrance for dignity and human rights,” reminds us that the Holocaust was not only a crime against individuals, but an assault on the very idea of human dignity. Victims were stripped of their rights, their identities, their sense of belonging and, ultimately, their lives. Remembering the Holocaust is therefore inseparable from affirming the inherent dignity and equal worth of every human being.

Education plays a central role in this effort. As time passes and the number of survivors diminishes, the responsibility to transmit their experiences becomes ever more important. In this regard, the presence of young students among us today is especially meaningful. Education helps ensure that the Holocaust is neither forgotten nor distorted, and that its lessons are carried forward across generations. It fosters understanding, critical thinking and empathy — essential tools for preventing intolerance and discrimination in all their forms.

At the United Nations Office at Geneva, we are committed to providing space for survivors to share their testimonies and for remembrance to be anchored in lived experience. These voices offer an irreplaceable connection to history and a powerful reminder of the consequences when human rights are denied.

Today, we are deeply honoured to welcome Ms. Léonie de Picciotto, whose life story reflects both the vulnerability and resilience of the human spirit. Born shortly after Kristallnacht, she experienced persecution, displacement and separation at a very young age. Saved through acts of courage and solidarity, she survived the Holocaust and went on to dedicate her life to remembrance, human rights and the empowerment of women.

Her testimony reminds us that behind every historical fact lies a human life — a childhood interrupted, a family disrupted, a future placed at risk. We are deeply grateful to you, Ms. de Picciotto, for your commitment to preserving memory and for sharing your experience with us today.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Holocaust remembrance is not only about the past. It is also about the values we choose to uphold today. The United Nations Secretary-General has repeatedly warned of the persistence of antisemitism, racism, prejudice and discrimination in various forms and contexts around the world. History has shown that when such forces are left unchallenged, consequences can be devastating.

Our response must be grounded in dialogue, education and a firm commitment to human rights. Diversity enriches societies. Mutual respect strengthens social cohesion. Upholding dignity and equality is essential for peace.

More than eight decades after the Holocaust, remembrance remains a vital responsibility. It calls on us to reject all forms of hatred and intolerance, to protect historical truth, and to promote understanding across communities and cultures.

Let today’s commemoration serve as a moment of reflection and resolve — a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to the principles on which the United Nations was founded. By remembering the victims of the Holocaust with dignity and respect, we honour not only their memory, but the values that must guide us now and in the future.

May we carry this responsibility forward with humility, vigilance and a renewed dedication to human dignity, human rights and peace.

I thank you.