Remembering the Holocaust: ‘You are here because you choose hope over hate’

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The Holocaust is a warning, that hatred “can consume everything” – a message that feels more urgent than ever, the UN chief said on Tuesday, as antisemitism rages worldwide.

In his 10^th Holocaust Remembrance Day address, Secretary-General António Guterres told survivors and their families gathered in the General Assembly Hall that honouring the dead “and the fight against the ancient poison of antisemitism – is not abstract, but personal”. 

Every year on the day the concentration camps were liberated in 1945, the world unites to honour the memory of the six million Jews – mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents – who perished at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators.

Included in the commemoration are the Roma and Sinti communities, people with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, and all others who suffered from the systemic violence, torture, and genocide of the Nazi regime.

Mr. Guterres emphasised that the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.

“Remembrance is more than honouring the past. It is a duty and a promise – to defend dignity, to protect the vulnerable, and to keep faith with those whose names and stories we refuse to forget.”

UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the UN Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, held in observance of the international day of commemoration in memory of the victims.

Combat antisemitism 

Reiterating his condemnation of the horrific Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel of 7 October 2023, Mr. Guterres said although we are haunted by those horrors, coming together to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust brings hope. 

“You are here because you choose hope over hate. You choose remembrance as a living force – a shield against prejudice, a spark for justice, a pledge to protect every human being,” he told the assembly. 

Reminding that the Holocaust began with words, not killing, the Secretary-General underscored that “this dark chapter of our common history reveals sobering truths”. 

“When those with power fail to act, evil goes unpunished,” he added, calling for widespread condemnation of antisemitism and all forms of hatred, anywhere and everywhere. 

“Our duty is clear: to speak the truth. To educate new generations. To confront antisemitism, and all forms of hatred and discrimination. And to defend the dignity of every human being”, he concluded.

‘Never again’, etched into our DNA

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The President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock recounted that ahead of the ceremony she had met death camp survivor, Blumenthal Lazan, who was deported to Bergen-Belsen as a child during World War Two.

Ms. Baerbock – former German foreign minister – said she had visited the notorious concentration camp as a young student, which left a powerful impression on her.

Reminding that the ‘Never Again’ promise is “etched into the very DNA of the United Nations, its Charter, and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, Ms. Baerbock said that it is “our duty to speak out, even louder than before, when signs of dehumanization emerge”.

Quoting Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, Ms. Baerbock added that “for evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing”. 

She said that ‘Never Again’ had to represent more than a slogan: “It is a duty to speak up, to stand up, and to defend the dignity and human rights of every member of our human family, everywhere, every day”.

Remembering the lessons of the Holocaust

As part of ongoing efforts to combat hate speech, UN Holocaust commemorations worldwide highlight the importance of educating future generations.

• The United Nations combats antisemitism through education, remembrance, and prevention. A key effort is The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme which organizes year-long education and remembrance outreach to amplify key themes of resisting antisemitism and prejudice, in defence of human rights.
• The UN also works to prevent genocide and hate speech through early warning efforts, staff training on hate speech, and initiatives such as #NoToHate. These actions align with the UN Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism.
• The UN also works to counter hate speech through its outreach programme on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and its support to the outreach programme on Srebrenica.