Tuesday’s solemn commemoration marked 81 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp by Allied forces, a site where more than one million people were murdered during the Holocaust. The remembrance served as a powerful moment to honour the victims and reflect on the enduring legacy of one of history’s darkest chapters at the close of the Second World War.
Speaking at the commemoration, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned of a troubling resurgence of antisemitism in recent years, pointing to violent attacks on Jewish communities in cities such as Sydney and Manchester. He cautioned that hatred and dehumanisation are increasingly seeping into everyday life, creating conditions that mirror the early warning signs seen before past atrocities.
Mr. Türk urged people worldwide to remember the lessons of the Holocaust, during which six million Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. He stressed that genocide does not begin with mass killing, but with indifference, silence in the face of injustice, and the gradual dehumanisation of targeted groups.
Emphasising the theme of this year’s commemoration, Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights, the High Commissioner underlined the importance of strong legal protections against discrimination and responsible political leadership that unites societies by confronting injustice rather than exploiting differences. He highlighted the need for education about the Holocaust, human rights learning across all ages, and inclusive systems to manage digital spaces so that concerns can be expressed without fear or incitement.
Despite the gravity of the challenges, Mr. Türk expressed reasons for hope, calling on the global community to make full use of international human rights law, access to reliable information, and the collective memory of how exclusion can escalate into annihilation. He urged people to actively confront racism, antisemitism, and bigotry wherever they appear, from private conversations to workplaces and online platforms.
Concluding on a note of individual responsibility, the UN rights chief reminded audiences that everyone has a role to play in building a world free from discrimination and intolerance. Echoing the words of Anne Frank and remembering Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who passed away recently, he reaffirmed that meaningful change can begin at any moment through the actions of ordinary people.
