UN to unveil Srebrenica genocide memorial marking 30 years since the massacre

According to the Bosnian Delegation to the UN, the installation is the result of a years-long process, intensified after the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/78/282 in May 2024. That resolution established 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica and mandated the creation of the public information program “The Genocide in Srebrenica and the United Nations.”

The memorial’s foundations lie underground, forming a structure weighing around five tons, while its visible section, crafted from stone and steel, weighs about three tons. Its design replicates the Srebrenica Flower, a symbol of grief, resilience, hope, and truth.

The flower’s eleven petals represent the date the genocide began, 11 July. The white color signifies the innocence of the victims, while green stands for renewal and hope. Both the colors and form evoke the graves of victims buried each year in Potocari.

The unveiling ceremony is organized by the Srebrenica Genocide Organization and the UN’s Department of Global Communications as part of worldwide activities marking the 30th anniversary.

The UN’s public information program on the Srebrenica genocide, jointly run by the Department of Global Communications (DGC) and the Office on Genocide Prevention (OSAPG), includes:

– Commemorating the International Day on 11 July

– Developing educational and informational programs to preserve established facts

– Collecting survivors’ testimonies

– Countering denial and distortion of historical facts

– Preparing for the 30th-anniversary observance in 2025

The Delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasized that the permanent memorial embodies the message contained in the resolution: that Srebrenica must never be pushed to the margins of history, and that remembrance of the victims, and the responsibility of the international community, must be preserved.

“By placing this memorial at the United Nations, we honor a painful chapter in the UN’s history while creating a lasting reminder carrying a clear message, such horrors must never be repeated,” the Delegation stated.