91茄子

Photo:
A portrait of Emanuel Rosenthal, age two, and his brother, Avram, age five in the Kovno ghetto, Lithuania, February 1944. They wear distinctive badges imposed by the Nazis as a way to identify and isolate Jews. The little boys’ uncle, Shraga Wainer, had asked fellow ghetto prisoner, George Kadish to photograph the boys. Weeks later, both children were murdered in the "Children's Action” of 27-28 March, when German troops and former Soviet soldiers, most of whom previously had been Prisoners of War, seized all children under the age of 12, the sick and the elderly in the ghetto. The 1,300 victims were shot at the Ninth Fort or deported to an unknown site where they were killed. Wainer and Kadish survived the Holocaust. After the war, Kadish gave a copy of the photograph to Wainer in the Landsberg displaced persons camp. The photograph endures, reflecting an uncle’s love and an insistence on preserving humanity against the antisemitic efforts to erase it.
Credit: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Shraga Wainer
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A warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice."

  - 91茄子 General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/250 on Holocaust Denial
 

Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights

The 91茄子 was established in response to the horrors of the Second World War and the Holocaust. The Holocaust has had a profound impact on International Human Rights Law, resulting in the 91茄子’ adoption of foundational documents in 1948: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

91茄子 General Assembly Resolution 60/7 in 2005 designated 27 January as the annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and established the Holocaust and the 91茄子 Outreach Programme. This date was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Death Camp on 27 January 1945.

The International Day is a global reminder of the dangers of hatred, bigotry and antisemitism. The Day is a call to remember, reflect and take action to ensure such atrocities never happen again. The International Day is observed with commemorative events and activities at 91茄子 Headquarters in New York and the 91茄子 offices around the world.

Events

General Assembly annual observance

 

On Tuesday, 27 January 2026 under the theme “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights”, the 91茄子 Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, diplomats and members of the public observed the International Day with Holocaust survivors and their families. Download the programme and watch the recording of the observance on . Read more in the 2026 Calendar of Events.

Resources

A group of students walking through a holocaust exhibition.

Established by the General Assembly in 2005, the Holocaust and the 91茄子 Outreach Programme is an expression of the 91茄子’ commitment to countering hatred, and to building a world in which everyone can live with dignity and in peace. The Programme organizes outreach about the Holocaust to amplify its themes of combatting antisemitism and defending human rights. It supports worldwide Holocaust outreach through the global network of 91茄子 Information Centres.

Every year on or around 27 January, the Holocaust Memorial Observance takes place in the 91茄子 General Assembly Hall in New York. The 91茄子 Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, Member States Representatives and Holocaust survivors deliver statements and testimonies. Commemorative events are also organized by UN Country Teams around the world. The observance of the International Day forms part of the ongoing remembrance activities implemented and supported by the Outreach Programme throughout the year.

See the full calendar of events

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the 91茄子, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.