Press release
80 years after the Liberation of Auschwitz: UNESCO mobilizes for Holocaust Remembrance
At a time when survivors and direct witnesses of the Holocaust are growing fewer, it is vital to further invest in education to pass on memory to younger generations. as well as to combat contemporary forms of antisemitism. Since it’s creation, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 been resolutely committed to carrying out this mission. Over the past ten years, we have led such actions in 85 countries.
On 27 January 2025, the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, Audrey Azoulay will take part in the official commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz Birkenau, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1979.
In the context of this ceremony, the Director-General of UNESCO will also visit the future Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Extremism and Radicalisation (ARCHER), created by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) under the patronage of UNESCO and in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. This research and education centre will be established in the former home of Auschwitz commander Rudolf H?ss.
Three new guides to combat Holocaust denial
To reinforce this important commemoration, UNESCO is publishing three new guides to help educators and journalists better combat Holocaust denial, the distortion and manipulation of historical facts relating to the Holocaust, and contemporary forms of anti-Semitism.
The and the delve into the specifics of how Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic discourse appear online and in the classroom, while also offering survivor testimonies and lessons plans to help teachers develop their pupils' knowledge and critical thinking skills in the face of disinformation about the Holocaust.
The presents the existing legal frameworks relating to Holocaust disinformation, and provides recommendations for media professionals to help them cover cases of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism.
These new tools complement UNESCO's numerous and authoritative publications, including “” (2024), “” (2022), and “” (2018).
Holocaust education: UNESCO actions in the field and online
Over the past 10 years, through its International Programme on Holocaust and Genocide Education (IPHGE), implemented with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 supported 24 countries accross all regions of the world to integrate the history of the Holocaust and other violent events into their school curricula.
UNESCO also plays a key role in combating misinformation about the Holocaust on social networks, including through the website. In partnership with the World Jewish Congress, this site provides users on Meta and TikTok’s platforms with factual answers to basic questions about the Holocaust, and recorded more than 4.4 million visitors in 2024 alone.
In addition, through its “Memory of the World” Register, UNESCO supports the preservation and dissemination of exceptionally valuable Holocaust archives, including the Diaries of Anne Frank, the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial, the Warsaw Ghetto Archives, and Claude Lanzmann's film Shoah.
While keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive is a necessary condition to counter the large-scale resurgence of anti-Semitism and hate speech, this is not enough. For this reason, as part of its Global Citizenship and Peace Education Programme, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 also trained more than 1,000 educators in 2024 on how to prevent anti-Semitism through education. Together with the European Commission and the OSCE, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 set up a dedicated teacher training programme which is already in place in twelve EU countries and will this year be extended to all EU Member States.
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About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
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