Holocaust Remembrance Observance at the United Nations

“Today we remember those for whom there was no liberation.”

81 years ago, on 27 January 1945, the Russian Army liberated Auschwitz, where more than a million people were murdered as part of the Nazis’ “Final Solution.” This solemn day is recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Traveling from Japan, the President of the Pan Asian Association, Seijyu Kahou, and her assistant, Koji Mochizuki, joined the Executives of the Panamerican-Panafrican Association, Henry Polgar and Lisa McFarren-Polgar and the executive of the National Salvadoran Association, Carmen Rodriguez, to attend this profoundly heart-wrenching Holocaust Remembrance Observance at the United Nations.

Held at the UN General Assembly, the event brought survivors of the Holocaust, now in their 90s, who shared the horrors of their suffering as they struggled to survive. They spoke about our ongoing responsibility to challenge prejudice, remember history, and combat antisemitism and racism. One of the victims spoke of surviving in the woods for three years at the age of 9 after her parents were murdered and her home was burned to the ground. Another described the horrific conditions at Auschwitz, where all they had to eat was one piece of bread per day, without being able to bathe for years.

Addressing the UN body, Secretary General spoke of the enduring lessons of the Holocaust, the importance of speaking out against dehumanization, and the duty to uphold justice and human dignity in the face of persistent hate and denial.

He warned that unchecked hatred began with words that preyed on fear and the erosion of the rule of law. “The Holocaust is not only history, but it is a warning.” His message reminded us that anti-semitism and racism is still with us and that we have a duty to fight it. We must recommit to justice and human dignity. The President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, spoke of our duty to speak out when signs of dehumanization appear. As Simon Wiezenthal once said, “For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.”