International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust (27 January 2025)
On this international day dedicated to the remembrance of genocides and the prevention of crimes against humanity, France commemorates the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau 80 years ago and remembers the victims of the Holocaust. President Macron, accompanied by Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad, will take part in the ceremonies.
On January 27, 1945, the world discovered the horror of the genocide carried out by the Nazis and their allies. To make sure the world never forgets the atrocities and their victims, the UN proclaimed this date to be the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The Nazi regime and its collaborators systematically exterminated the Jewish people and a number of other groups because of their ethnic origins, beliefs, physical features or sexual orientation.
France defends universal, inalienable, indivisible human rights by combating all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia, and all types of hate speech. Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism must be strongly opposed and firmly punished because they undermine the unity of our society as well as the rights, freedoms and dignity of all. Along with promoting our national zero-tolerance policy toward anti-Semitism, our diplomatic corps works each day to defend human rights and fight all forms of anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination.
Within the European Union, our country remains a leader in this regard, actively supporting the European strategy on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life.
To tackle current challenges, we are playing an active role in promoting the European model of digital regulation in order to suppress online hate speech.
Our diplomatic corps continues to speak out against anti-Semitism in all the regional and international organizations that France belongs to.
France also works to foster remembrance and the transmission of knowledge, a critical task now that fewer and fewer survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust are still alive, and with disinformation and revisionist history fueling noxious political discourse.
The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs recently announced France’s candidacy for the 2027 presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an international organization that does important work in the areas of Holocaust research, education and remembrance.
Remembering the victims of the Holocaust is our shared duty. We must remember that intolerance, hate speech and discrimination create a breeding ground for humanity’s darkest acts.
With the world facing divisions and fractures, and the massive spread of hate speech, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs will continue to lead the fight against all forms of xenophobia and anti-Semitism.