We regularly comment on current events that overlap with the IHRA's mandate. Statements can come from the IHRA Chair, IHRA Secretary General, or, when consensus is reached among all Member Countries, by the IHRA in the form of an IHRA Statement.
On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945), the Italian Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin, stresses the importance of countering distortion and safeguarding the historical record.
“The Holocaust was not an incident of history that came out of the blue, but was the outcome of a process marked by legal discrimination and the progressive denial of the human rights of individuals and groups. We have learned from experience that hate that begins with one group rarely ends with that group. An accurate and nuanced understanding of the causes and consequences of the Holocaust are essential if we are to ensure such horrors are not repeated.
The IHRA’s 32 Member Countries are committed to planting the seeds of a better future amidst the soil of a bitter past by combatting the ongoing distortion of the narrative of the Holocaust and safeguarding the historical record of the Holocaust and the genocide of the Roma.
Together we remember the victims who perished, respect the survivors still with us, and reaffirm humanity’s common aspiration for mutual understanding and justice.”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance, and promote Holocaust education, remembrance, and research worldwide and to uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration.
“In my capacity as Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I commend the unanimous adoption of the declaration on antisemitism by the Justice and Home affairs Council by the 28 Member States on 6 December.
The declaration is a strong statement that democracies must pay closer attention to – and take specific steps to combat – the problem of antisemitism. Existential questions have been raised about the viability of continued Jewish life in Europe – a community that has existed in Europe for millennia. Were this to change, so too would the future of Europe as a democratic and pluralistic society. In the words of Frans Timmermans, First Vice President of the European Commission, “If there’s no future for Jews in Europe, there’s no future for Europe.”
I also welcome the call for Member States to endorse the non-legally binding IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. In order to combat antisemitism effectively, it is important to have clarity about what it is and how it may manifest itself. The IHRA tool captures antisemitism in its developmental stages and mutations, reflects current realities and is of practical use. It seeks to educate and inspires dialogue on forms of antisemitism: from antisemitism that emerges from hateful intent to unconscious forms of discrimination, as well as subsequent antisemitic actions that deny rights and/ or a feeling of safety and security to Jews or people identified as Jews.
At our recent meetings in Ferrara, the IHRA was pleased to welcome the European Union as a Permanent International Partner organization. We look forward to working closely with the European Union and with Katharina von Schnurbein, EU Coordinator on Combatting Antisemitism. With humanity still scarred by genocide, ethnic cleansing, racism, antisemitism and xenophobia, the international community shares a solemn responsibility to fight those evils.”
IHRA Chair
Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin
It was with deep sadness that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance learned yesterday of the death of former IHRA Chair, Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu. Ambassador Constantinescu was a highly-respected colleague within the IHRA community, where he skillfully chaired the organization in 2016.
“Mihnea was a highly professional diplomat with a sharp wit and real warmth of character. I had the pleasure of working closely with him throughout 2016 and was struck by his unwavering commitment to combatting antisemitism and safeguarding the memory of the Holocaust. Even after his chairmanship ended, he continued to be active in the fight against antisemitism. I will miss him as a distinguished colleague, but also as a friend,” said IHRA Executive Secretary, Dr Kathrin Meyer.
A respected career diplomat, Constantinescu held senior positions in the Romanian Foreign Ministry and served as a diplomatic advisor to several prime ministers. He acted as Chair of the IHRA from March 2016 until March 2017 and was instrumental in achieving the adoption of a non-legally binding Working Definition of Antisemitism to guide the IHRA in its work.
“By adopting this working definition, the IHRA is setting an example of responsible conduct for other international fora and hopes to inspire them also to take action on a legally binding working definition,” Constantinescu said at the time. On 1 June 2017 the European Parliament voted to adopt a resolution calling on member states and their institutions to adopt and apply the working definition.
The IHRA community extends its sincere condolences to Ambassador Constantinescu’s family, colleagues and friends. He will be greatly missed.
“It was with great shock that I learned of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on 27 October.
As the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and in the name of all 31 Member Countries, I express sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the survivors, and the whole Jewish community in Pittsburgh.
We condemn this antisemitic hate crime and call on the international community and all political, social and religious leaders on the national and local level to speak out against hate speech, to ensure the security of all vulnerable communities, and to support social and educational efforts to address all forms of antisemitism.”
Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin
IHRA Chair
IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance, and promote Holocaust education, remembrance, and research worldwide and to uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration.
“As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), I was deeply troubled by the comments made by Matteo Salvini, Italian Minister of Interior, on 18 June 2018 in which he suggested a census be taken of Roma and Sinti in Italy and spoke disrespectfully of Roma.
The IHRA is committed to countering distortion and preserving the historical record. Raising awareness of the prejudice towards Roma and Sinti before, during and after the Second World War as well as demonstrating the link between the history of persecution and the present situation of the Roma is a key objective of the IHRA and its dedicated Committee on the Genocide of the Roma. Our 31 Member Countries advocate for policymaking which is informed by history and the proposal to take a specific census of Roma and Sinti evoked memories of what preceded past racial laws and tragedies.
We must strengthen the moral commitment of our peoples, and the political commitment of our governments to stand up to hate speech and I commend the Italian Prime Minister and other representatives of the Italian Government and Italian civil society on their immediate and clear response to these comments.”
Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin, IHRA Chair
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, remembrance and research worldwide and uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration.
“As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I welcome the decision of the Polish Parliament to amend the Polish National Remembrance Law Amendment by removing the criminal penalty of imprisonment.
The IHRA community – including Poland – adheres to our founding document, the Stockholm Declaration, which outlines the shared commitment of our Member Countries to encourage the study of the Holocaust in all its dimensions and to uphold its truth against those who would deny it. The 35 Member Countries of the IHRA share the Polish government’s opposition to the historically unsupportable use of the terms “Polish Death Camps” to refer to the camps and sites of persecution and murder established by Nazi Germany on invaded and occupied Polish soil.
It is our hope that this change in law be accompanied by a cooperative and international approach to building Holocaust research and awareness in Poland. We remain committed to freedom of inquiry, research, and publication and – in the words of our Honorary Chairman, Professor Yehuda Bauer, – are convinced that the greatest defense in honor of the Polish people is to preserve the truth as it actually was.”
Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin
IHRA Chair
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, remembrance and research worldwide and uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration.
“As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I was dismayed and very worried by the comments made by Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, on 2 May in which he used antisemitic stereotypes in public discourse, falsely claiming that the Holocaust was a result of Jews’ “social function” and purported association with loans and banking.
Making mendacious allegations about Jews controlling the economy is one of the typical examples of antisemitic stereotypes denounced in the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Attempts to blame the Jews for causing their own genocide is a clear case of Holocaust distortion as spelt out in the IHRA Working Definition of Holocaust Denial and Distortion.
These comments make the importance of IHRA’s mission to safeguard the record of the Holocaust and to counter Holocaust distortion even more evident.
The international community must uphold the terrible truth of the Holocaust against those who deny it. We must strengthen the moral commitment of our peoples, and the political commitment of our governments, to ensure that future generations can understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflect upon its consequences.”
Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin, IHRA Chair
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, remembrance and research worldwide and to uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration.
“It was with deep sadness and concern that I heard the news of Mireille Knoll’s death in Paris last week. The decision of French prosecutors to file preliminary charges for murder with antisemitic motives is correct and sets an important international signal that governments, judicial systems and police forces must be aware of and sensitive to antisemitic motivations for hate crimes. I commend the statement of French leaders condemning antisemitism and am convinced that the French prosecutors will ensure a thorough investigation into the crime.
The fact that today, some eighty years after the Holocaust, Jews continue to be persecuted and killed shows that antisemitism still pollutes and poisons our societies. The continuing tragedy of antisemitism confirms the need for IHRA Member Countries to combat this hated and to affirm our commitment to provide educators and policymakers with tools, such as the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, that allow them to best perform this task.
My thoughts are particularly with the family of Mrs Knoll and with the French Jewish community at this difficult time.”
Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin, IHRA Chair
