In 2005 The General Assembly of the UN decided that the United Nations will designate 27 January -– the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp -- as an annual International Day of Commemoration to honor the victims of the Holocaust, to instill the memory of the tragedy in future generations to prevent genocide from occurring again.
This year eight embassies along with the UN representative to Ethiopia joined forces to commemorate the International Holocaust Memorial Day which was held on February 26th 2018, at the UNECA.
On the event the Ambassador of the State of Israel, H.E. Mr. Raphael Morav, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mrs. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the Ambassador of Austria, H.E. Mr. Andreas Melan, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Karel Hejc, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mrs. Brita Wagener, the Ambassador of Hungary, H.E. Mr. Gabor Sagi, the Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Mr. Arturo Luzzi, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, H.E. Mr. Aleksander Kropiwnicki and the Ambassador of Federation of Russia, H.E. Mr. Vsevolod Tkachenko gave speeches. Additionally, Exhibition “Beyond Duty” and video testimonies were also parts of the commemoration ceremony.
The Holocaust refers to the period of 1941, the beginning to “the final solution” to 1945, when the war in Europe officially ended. During this time, 6,000,000 Jews (1.5 million of these being children) were murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices, and more than 5,000 Jewish communities were destroyed.
Even though the Nazis targeted the Jews, they were not the sole targets of Hitler's regime. Many European citizens were victims of the Nazis as well, being persecuted for different reasons. The persecutions were committed with the intent of restoring “racial integrity” and eliminating what they called "life unworthy of life", as severe psychiatric, neurological or physical disabilities represented both a "genetic and financial burden".