January 27 is designated by the United Nations General Assembly as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD). Since 2005, the UN and its member states have held commemoration ceremonies to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism.
On November 1, 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 60/7 to designate January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD). The date marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and is meant to honor the victims of Nazism. In addition, the same resolution supports the development of educational programs to remember the Holocaust and prevent further genocide.
Resolution 60/7 not only establishes January 27 as “International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust,” it also rejects any form of Holocaust denial. In addition, the resolution encourages member states of the UN to actively preserve sites that the Nazis used during the "Final Solution" (killing centers, concentration camps, and prisons).
Drawing from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the resolution condemns all forms of “religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief” worldwide.
In remembrance of International Holocaust Day, January 27th, we would like to share opportunities to participate in events hosted by the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme on the Holocaust.