Symposium: Ten Years with the Stockholm Declaration (the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research)

Check against delivery

 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

10 years ago – when the Task force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research was founded – we made a pledge: Not to forget – but to educate, remember and research in order to prevent Holocaust from happening again.

Representing the Norwegian chair of the Task Force, I am pleased to partner - with my colleague and friend Carl Bildt and the Living History Forum - in hosting this important gathering to mark the 10th anniversary of the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust.

The Stockholm Declaration states that the unprecedented character of the Holocaust will always hold universal meaning. We – the members of the ITF – have pledged to honour the millions who were victims of its atrocities, to study all dimensions of the Holocaust, and use this knowledge to promote tolerance.

This is the platform of the Task Force mandate. But it goes further. We also pledge to continue the fight against the evils of genocide, ethnic cleansing, racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia.  We owe our commitment to those who suffered the Holocaust – and we owe it to future generations!

We know from the bitter lessons of history that simply stating “Never again” is not enough to prevent deadly repetitions. The memory of the Holocaust has not prevented mass atrocities and genocide. The Stockholm Declaration was adopted at a time when the world had just witnessed horrific genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica.   

Such atrocities are the gravest of international crimes, and directly assault the most fundamental human rights – our core values of humanity and dignity. That is why we need to join our forces to combat these crimes. We did so at the initiative of Sweden 10 years ago. Today we recommit to this pledge, and together we focus on the future. But before doing so – let us reflect on what has been achieved since the Stockholm Declaration was adopted in 2000:

First: We have added many pieces to the jigsaw of knowledge about the Holocaust: the ideology behind it, the driving forces, the details of the executions and the implications for mankind. By studying the past, we have become aware of how small streams can run together to create a flood of man-made tragedy.

Second, we have become even more aware of the importance of passing on this knowledge to younger generations – particularly as the eye witnesses gradually pass away.

Third – we have seen the ITF growing – reflecting the importance countries attach to Holocaust awareness. From a small group of friends, the ITF has developed into a permanent body with 27 member countries from four continents.

Membership comes with a commitment. To qualify for membership, countries are required to scrutinise all aspects of their history with regard to the Holocaust: both actions and omissions. No one comes out clean from this painful, but vital, self-scrutiny and soul-searching.   

Commitment is key. Because we also face challenges related to Holocaust fatigue. We are seeing soft and hard revisionism and we are seeing Holocaust relativism. There are even instances of blatant Holocaust denial.

So looking towards the future I believe that one of our most important challenges is to prevent the study of the Holocaust from being reduced to a ritual exercise. As we pledged in Stockholm 10 years ago we need continuously to transform our knowledge of the past to address challenges today and tomorrow.

Because history teaches us the following: Atrocities and other grave violations of human rights are not just caused by longstanding hatreds or irrational leaders. They develop from a general environment of intolerance and prejudice. It is vital to recognise the danger signs at an early stage, so that we can address the driving forces behind such brutality. This is where the ITF could and should play a key role.

The world agrees that genocide is unacceptable, and yet it still happens. How to prevent it from happening remains one of the most persistent challenges of our times. We have an obligation to search for an answer.  If not, then “never again” would lose its meaning. We must mobilise all our political will, credibility and leadership.

Today – the ITF possesses a pool of experts in Holocaust research, education and remembrance. I believe it can be a key vehicle for this endeavour.

Norway has had the privilege of chairing the Task Force since March 2009. When we assumed this role, we noted that the ITF had untapped potential in the global struggle against Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism. We asked ourselves how its unique reservoir of academic and practical skills could be better used in order to help governments confront increasing anti-Semitism, racism and exclusion of groups in their societies.

Our goal has been to enable the ITF to fight these destructive forces more effectively at a global level. We have proposed reforms to improve synergy between the experts and the governmental representatives. Our proposals were based on the principle that the experts should provide unbiased guidance, while the governmental representatives must ensure that recommendations are transformed into political action. This is the only way that the ITF can have political impact.

One key focus of Norway’s chairmanship has been to address the prejudice and discrimination against the Roma people. The genocide of the Roma took place at the same time as the Holocaust, and was carried out by the same perpetrators. At present we are witnessing a growing tide of anti-Roma hostility and violence in Europe. Roma continue to be victims of widespread discrimination on a day-to-day basis. These are unacceptable realities that need an urgent and forceful response from the ITF.

Six weeks from now, on the 4th of March Norway will hand over the ITF Chairmanship to Israel. We are confident that the ITF is well equipped to continue raising awareness about the Holocaust and addressing the destructive forces that breed prejudice and intolerance.  

We must ensure that the ITF is a powerful instrument for communicating effectively the dangers of intolerance, bigotry, racism and prejudice. We owe this to the millions of innocent children, women and men who have suffered and died in mass atrocities and genocide. And we owe it to the thousands that will need our protection and solidarity in the future.

Thank you for your attention.