IGK welcomes the historic adoption of the Resolution 'International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Genocide in Srebrenica 1995'

(Patria) - The Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada (IGK) welcomes the historic adoption of the Resolution 'International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Genocide in Srebrenica 1995' by the UN General Assembly (Resolution).

This Resolution is very important because it declares July 11th as the world day of remembrance of the genocide in Srebrenica and condemns the denial of the genocide in Srebrenica as a historical event, condemns the glorification of convicted war criminals, and calls on member states to preserve established facts, including through their educational systems, by developing appropriate programs, also in remembrance, in order to prevent the denial and distortion of facts, and the occurrence of genocide in the future.


The adoption of the Resolution is crucial in our common pursuit of justice, truth, a culture of remembrance, and accountability. By fighting for justice, we preserve peace. Let's reflect on the message of the Resolution. Because Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the world need justice and recognition for the victims and survivors. With this Resolution, Srebrenica has once again been returned to the global international stage as a world symbol of the fight for justice, truth, reconciliation, learning, genocide prevention, and ultimately, a world symbol of the fight against genocide denial and the glorification of convicted war criminals.

Introducing the genocide in Srebrenica into educational systems around the world and regularly commemorating this terrible crime annually can help future generations not only to be properly informed about this crime but also to better understand the world they live in, to understand that they are part of a world that enabled and allowed such a crime.

The Resolution will pave the way for peacebuilding, confronting the past, and international commemoration of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica. This is, after all the relevant verdicts, an important step that the international community has taken to restore the trust of the victims' families in the international justice system.

The Resolution is based on facts. It does not delve into historical interpretations nor does it refer to a specific country or nation. The Resolution aims to facilitate the process of reconciliation, raise the level of empathy, and promote trust-building in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. The rhetoric of denying historical facts and disrespecting international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, seriously jeopardizes this process.

Those who voted against the Genocide Resolution, in addition to showing a serious civilizational decline in their actions, are simultaneously making a grave legal error due to the existence of verdicts from two of the most significant world judicial bodies.

The IGK International Expert Team actively participated in lobbying for the adoption of the Resolution. IGK had a special focus on Canada, which resulted in Canada being one of the sponsors of the resolution.

IGK thanks the proposers and sponsors of the Resolution, and thanks everyone in the world who, through their activities, raised their voice for the truth about the genocide in Srebrenica and justice for the victims of that terrible crime.