UN to host commemoration for International Day of Reflection on Srebrenica genocide

The event, scheduled to begin at 11 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), is organized by the UN Outreach Programme on the Srebrenica Genocide in collaboration with the UN Department of Global Communications. Among the scheduled speakers is Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The program will also feature addresses from the UN Secretary-General, to be delivered on his behalf by the Chef de Cabinet, and the President of the UN General Assembly. Furthermore, survivors of the genocide are expected to share their personal testimonies.

Chaloka Beyani, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, will preside over the commemoration. This event serves to honour the memory of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys murdered during the genocide in July 1995, as well as the thousands of women, children, and elderly individuals who were forcibly displaced. The UN emphasizes that this observance reinforces the international community's commitment to preserving historical truth and strengthening efforts to prevent genocide and other mass atrocities.

The UN’s June bulletin highlights the critical link between hate speech and genocide, noting that the events in Srebrenica were preceded by years of dehumanizing rhetoric. To address these dangers, an online discussion titled "Art Remembers: Culture as Witness and Prevention" was organized, focusing on the role of culture in opposing denial and fostering just societies. "Memory is not passive," the UN bulletin states. "It is an act of resistance against the denial and hate speech that facilitate genocide and continue to threaten peace today."

This year’s ceremony marks the second observance of the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide since the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution designating July 11 as the official day of remembrance.