Holocaust distortion feeds the despicable scourge of antisemitism, without any place in any society. We must continue to stand towards it in all its forms, and to reject any attempts to deny the facts of the Holocaust. History is actually important to be politicised. Thank you. Thank you Mister Chair, thank you Ambassador Ann Bernes, for your introductory feedback, and your work as President of International Holocaust Remembrance Connections ( IHRA ). Tomorrow we will tag International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to remember and honour the particular lives of the six mil Jewish men, women and kids as well as, Roma, Sinti and more who lost their lifestyles at the hands of the Nazi routine during World War II. This was one of the darkest moments in human history. We are going to soon reach a point when the march of time means that the particular Holocaust will no longer be part of the living history. With that comes a growing concern in regards to the rise of Holocaust refusal and distortion – recasting history to erase the devastating horrors faced by the Jewish people. We have a duty to remember all of them and keep their testimony with your life for future generations. We are going to continue to drive international initiatives to promote Holocaust education, and counter Holocaust denial and distortion when the UK requires the Chairpersonship of IHRA in March 2024. To make sure we never forget the horrors, or forget the hard lessons we learnt – the UK has committed to building a brand new national Holocaust Memorial plus Learning Centre in London, anticipated to open in 2027. As we mark this poignant time, Mr Chair and the six million people who were not conserved during World War II – allow us to reflect. Let us remember. And let us never forget. The UK’s theme for this year highlights the particular role of “ordinary people” – as perpetrators, sufferers, and rescuers. These people positively had choices to make – whether or not to perpetrate genocide; whether or not to stand by and actively ignore what was going on around them. There were those who took a stand against hatred, by coming ahead to help those in require – whether by hiding people, providing food, or even helping people to escape. They were ordinary people too… doing extraordinary things. It continues to be an extraordinary and uplifting undeniable fact that ordinary people in Denmark was able to save almost all of their nations Jewish populations. They were hidden in churches, private hospitals and family homes, and spirited to coastal towns, from where these were taken to safety in Sweden. Sadly, there were also a lot of who stood by quietly and did nothing.
