Human Rights – Holocaust Remembrance Day (Paris, 27 January 2023)

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On this international day dedicated to the remembrance of genocides and the prevention of crimes against humanity, France commemorates the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp 78 years ago and the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

This day reminds us of the crimes – unprecedented in human history – committed by the Nazi regime and its collaborators against millions of Jews, as well as other groups targeted because of their origins, beliefs, physical characteristics or sexual orientation.

The truth about the Holocaust, which resulted in the systematic murder of six million Jews, must never be forgotten, concealed or distorted. At a time when the survivors and witnesses of this tragedy are disappearing and history is subject to political manipulation, we must work relentlessly to remember, to conduct historical research, to pass down the facts and to educate.

Together with its 41 partner states in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), France is actively engaged in research, education and the dissemination of the memory of the Holocaust and, more broadly, of all genocides and mass crimes. French institutions dedicated to remembrance, such as the Mémorial de la Shoah, the Maison d’Izieu and the Camp des Mille, make extraordinary contributions to this effort.

This day reminds us that no form of racism and anti-Semitism can be tolerated. Racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic discrimination and speech undermine the unity of our society as well as the rights, freedoms and dignity of all citizens. These acts are violations of universal, inalienable and indivisible human rights. They must be relentlessly opposed and punished.

Since 2015, our country has had national plans to combat racism and anti-Semitism in order to better coordinate public action against all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, discrimination and hate speech, both online and off. Under the leadership of the French presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2022, EU member states reaffirmed their stalwart opposition to racism and anti-Semitism and adopted a European regulation on digital services that makes it possible to more effectively punish online hate speech.

This day also aims to extend remembrance to all victims of crimes against humanity, to prevent future crimes and to fight against impunity.

In keeping with our unceasing struggle to protect the equal dignity of all and to help create a world based on justice, peace and tolerance, every citizen must pass down the memory of the Holocaust and its victims to future generations.