PRESS RELEASE : International Holocaust Remembrance Day: UK statement to the OSCE [February 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 February 2024.

Deputy Ambassador Brown marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day and condemns Holocaust denial and distortion.

Thank you Ambassador Gras, for your introductory comments and Croatia’s work as President of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Last week we marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, remembering and honouring the 6 million Jewish people, Roma, disabled, gay men, political opponents and Jehovah’s Witnesses who were murdered. All murdered for who they were and what they believed.

The Holocaust was one of the darkest moments in human history. Tragically, recent events have underlined its continued relevance today. Israel was founded in the shadow of the Holocaust as a place of sanctuary for the Jewish people. And as we have seen the ugly face of antisemitism resurface, with an unprecedented surge in hate crime globally since the barbaric attacks on the 7th of October. Shamefully, this was also the case in the United Kingdom.

The UK will succeed Croatia as President of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance later this year, convening meetings in Glasgow in June and in London in December. During our Presidency we will mark the 85th anniversary of the first Kindertransport, the rescue of almost ten thousand Jewish children. Children who became Nobel prize winners, members of our legislatures and – in the UK – include the midwife who first held the future King Charles the Third.

We will soon reach a point where the march of time means that the Holocaust will no longer be part of our living history. With that comes a growing concern about the rise of Holocaust denial and distortion – recasting history to erase the devastating horrors faced by the Jewish people and others.

Our Presidency therefore aims to help children understand that the Holocaust did not happen in secret, hidden away in the dark corner, beyond most citizens’ gaze. We want to shine a spotlight on the circumstances that led up to the Holocaust and the nature of society that allowed it to happen in plain sight.

Alongside this, we will prioritise tackling the continued rise of Holocaust distortion. We have a duty to protect the facts, fighting back against attempts to minimise or erase the devastation endured by the Jewish people. As IHRA Presidency and working with the OSCE, the UK will therefore convene AI, social media and other experts to discuss Holocaust distortion, including risks from deep fake technology and online disinformation.

Today is above all a day for remembering. We remember all those who were murdered.  And as we remember them, I reiterate the UK’s commitment to continuing that remembrance among future generations and to combating antisemitism domestically and across the OSCE region.

Thank you Chair.