Sweden

In May 1998, on the eve of the new millennium, Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the President of the United States Bill Clinton agreed to set up a Task Force to promote international cooperation on Holocaust education, remembrance and research, laying the foundation for the IHRA.

The first Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust took place on 26–28 January 2000. The Stockholm Declaration became the founding document of the IHRA.

Twenty years after the establishment of the IHRA, Sweden has been entrusted with holding the Presidency from 1 March 2022 until 28 February 2023. It is with a sense of historical responsibility that the Government of Sweden, an initiator of the IHRA, takes up the role as Chair, building on its work two decades earlier.

Prime Minister Löfven’s deep commitment to the cause of combating antisemitism has been expressed through a series of measures to strengthen security for Sweden’s Jewish community and for Holocaust Remembrance.

50 heads of state and government and 20 organizations have been invited to the Malmö Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism 13-14 October 2021. One central priority of the Swedish IHRA Presidency will be to follow up on the Malmö Forum.

A state museum for passing on the testimonies of those Holocaust survivors who sought refuge in Sweden will open its doors in Stockholm in 2022.

“The magnitude of the Holocaust must be forever seared in our collective memory. The unprecedented character of the Holocaust will always hold universal meaning”, says Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

“The murder, persecution and terrible suffering of the Jewish people, Roma and millions of other victims of Nazism left an indelible scar across Europe. Although the killing did not take place on Swedish soil, Sweden both influenced and was influenced by what happened. The Holocaust is also part of Sweden’s history. As a society, we have an obligation to promote education, remembrance and research on the genocide committed by the Nazis and their allies so that new generations will be able to learn from history. The Swedish Holocaust Museum will be one way of doing so.”

Foreign Minister Ann Linde:

“Antisemitism and all forms of racism are threats to us all and to our open and democratic societies. Wherever we see antisemitism, and no matter who expresses it, we must step in and – with unwavering resoluteness – expose, confront and combat it. Antisemitism is a direct threat to Jews, but it is not a problem to be borne by Jews alone. We must address Holocaust denial and antisemitism by protecting and promoting democratic values and respect for human rights.”

Minister for Culture and Democracy Amanda Lind:

“Even though history has shown us what the ultimate consequences of antisemitism, antiziganism and racism can be, they still exist in all parts of society. Sweden must set an example and do all it can to prevent something similar from happening again. Remembering is also about learning from history.”

“By learning about our history, we can strengthen and defend our open and democratic Swedish society today and in the future,” says Minister for Education Anna Ekström.