L-R: Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Michelle Müntefering, German Secretary of State for Foreign Cultural Policy;
Credit: MAEE
On Sunday, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, chaired the ministerial conference of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Brussels, organised on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration.
The IHRA ministerial conference, organised within the framework of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Alliance, marked the start of an historic year commemorating both the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II – and the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp – and the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration, the founding document of the Alliance. This conference brought together ministers and representatives from 35 countries and eight international organisations which are permanent partners of the IHRA.
On this occasion, participants exchanged views on contemporary political challenges and adopted a ministerial declaration which was negotiated under the leadership of Luxembourg, in the person of Ambassador Georges Santer. This ministerial declaration refers in its title to the Luxembourg presidency of the IHRA and provides a new political impetus to strengthen the collective commitment to combat the denial and distortion of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, antiziganism, racism and all other forms of discrimination.
During his speech, Jean Asselborn stressed that “Luxembourg has worked closely with all the member countries of the IHRA to unite them and renew their commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism, leading to the adoption of this ministerial declaration today. As we see the global rise of anti-Semitism taking new forms, it is more urgent than ever that governments work together to confront this evil”.
Minister Asselborn added that "Luxembourg will continue to work with the IHRA to ensure that our collective resolution does not fade and we urge all members to translate the declaration we have just adopted into concrete action. This declaration will serve in the coming years as a source of inspiration, exhortation and motivation for the work of the Alliance”. He concluded that "we must do everything to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past".
