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Working together to combat antisemitism, Holocaust denial and discrimination

Participants of the IHRA Ministerial Meeting

Participants of the IHRA Ministerial Meeting, © IHRA

20.01.2020 - Article

At the annual Ministerial Meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Brussels, representatives from 35 countries reaffirmed their commitment to combat antisemitism and promote remembrance in times of growing antisemitism and violence against Jews.

Twenty years of cooperation to combat antisemitism

Minister of State Michelle Müntefering and the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Asselborn
Minister of State Michelle Müntefering and the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Asselborn© IHRA

In 2020, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Alliance was founded in January 2000 with the signing of the Stockholm Declaration. At the Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, representatives from 35 countries signed a Ministerial Declaration in which they committed to new principles and measures. This means inter alia:

  • They accept their responsibility to combat Holocaust denial, antisemitism and all forms of racism and discrimination which undermine fundamental democratic principles.
  • They want to lead efforts to promote education, remembrance and research on the Holocaust with a view to countering anti-democratic trends.
  • They commit to identifying, preserving and making available archive material, testimonies and authentic sites for educational purposes, commemoration and research.

75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

With this Declaration, they want to send an active signal and show their commitment to combatting growing antisemitism, antigypsyism and other forms of discrimination. Even more importance attaches to this signal as 27 January 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. Minister of State Michelle Müntefering pointed to this anniversary at the meeting:

75 years after the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp it is today both necessary and encouraging that the Member Countries have renewed the commitment made in Stockholm on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the IHRA.

German IHRA Chairmanship from March 2020

The IHRA is the central international organisation founded to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and to promote Holocaust education around the world. It has 34 Member Countries, 1 liaison country and 7 observer countries. The work of the IHRA is supported by the Permanent Office in Berlin. In 2017, the German Government decided to support the IHRA definition of antisemitism. In March 2020, Germany will assume the IHRA Chairmanship for one year.

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