Fight against hate and intolerance must continue says OSCE Chairperson on Holocaust Remembrance Day

JERUSALEM, 27 January 2012 – Speaking on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore, who is currently on a visit to the Middle East, emphasized the need to continue to fight hate and intolerance.

“The unique horrors of the Holocaust can never be forgotten. We can only truly honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust by continuing to fight against anti-Semitism, discrimination against Roma and Sinti as well other forms of hate and intolerance present in our societies today,” he said.

“I will personally pay my respects during a visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem on Sunday.”

“The persistence of anti-Semitic acts, as well as other hate crimes, is abhorrent and International Holocaust Remembrance Day serves as a reminder of the need for OSCE participating States to do more to tackle these crimes in all their manifestations. This includes ensuring police and other agencies identify hate crimes and respond to them appropriately as well as preventing hate through tolerance education.”

The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) publishes an annual report on hate crimes and incidents in the OSCE Region that also highlights best practices of participating States and civil society in tackling them.

ODIHR has also developed teaching materials for schools to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance. In 2012 ODIHR will release, in co-operation with the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, an update of its overview on Holocaust Memorial Days in the OSCE region.