On Thursday, May 23, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica. Eighty-four countries voted in favour of the Resolution, 18 were against it, and 68 abstained.
The majority of UN member states decided that July 11 will be observed annually as the International Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide. This resolution designates July 11 similarly to January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day and April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Here is the final text of the Resolution:
“Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,
Recalling Security Council resolution 819 (1993) of 16 April 1993 declaring Srebrenica a safe area, resolution 827 (1993) of 25 May 1993 concerning the establishment of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and resolution 1966 (2010) of 22 December 2010 concerning the establishment of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals,
Recalling also all judgments of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, in particular eight that contain guilty verdicts for the crime of genocide against Bosnian Muslims committed at Srebrenica in 1995, most notably the Tribunal Appeals Chamber judgment of 19 April 2004 (The Prosecutor v. Krstić), the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals Appeals Chamber judgment of 8 June 2021 (The Prosecutor v. Mladić) and the Mechanism Appeals Chamber judgment of 20 March 2019 (The Prosecutor v. Karadžić), as well as the judgment of the International Court of Justice of 26 February 2007, in which the Court determined that the acts committed in Srebrenica constituted acts of genocide,
Reaffirming its strong opposition to impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or other violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and emphasizing in this context the responsibility of States to end impunity and, to that end, to thoroughly investigate and prosecute, in accordance with their relevant international legal obligations and their domestic law, persons responsible for such acts, in order to avoid their recurrence and to seek sustainable peace, justice, truth and reconciliation, for which the participation of victims and survivors as well as their family members is central,
Welcoming the important progress made by international courts in recent years with respect to the fight against impunity and in ensuring accountability for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other egregious crimes achieved through the international criminal justice system, Recognizing in this regard the particular contribution of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and emphasizing the importance of the international community being prepared to take collective action through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, and on a case-by-case basis to further ensure accountability for and the prevention of genocide,
Reiterating that criminal accountability under international law for the crime of genocide is individualized and cannot be attributed to any ethnic, religious or other group or community as a whole,
Taking note of the role of the Special Advisers to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect, and noting the importance of regular briefings on human rights and international humanitarian law violations as well as on hate speech and incitement in raising early awareness of potential genocide,
Noting that the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other international crimes in national justice systems, including the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia as well as the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, remains central to the process of national reconciliation and trust-building and to the restoration and maintenance of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and recognizing that strong regional cooperation between national prosecutors’ offices is essential in fostering peace, justice, truth and reconciliation among countries in the region,
Reiterating the unwavering commitment to maintaining stability and fostering unity in diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Noting that 2025 will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, in which at least 8,372 lives were lost, thousands were displaced and families and communities were devastated,
1. Decides to designate 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, to be observed annually;
2. Condemns without reservation any denial of the Srebrenica genocide as a historical event, and urges Member States to preserve the established facts, including through their educational systems by developing appropriate programmes, also in remembrance, towards preventing denial and distortion, and occurrence of genocides in the future;
3. Also condemns without reservation actions that glorify those convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by international courts, including those responsible for the Srebrenica genocide;
4. Emphasizes the importance of completing the process of finding and identifying the remaining victims of the Srebrenica genocide and according them dignified burials, and calls for the continued prosecution of those perpetrators of the Srebrenica genocide who have yet to face justice;
5. Urges all States to fully adhere to their obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, as applicable, and customary international law on the prevention and punishment of genocide, with due regard to relevant decisions of the International Court of Justice;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to establish an outreach programme entitled “The Srebrenica Genocide and the United Nations”, starting its activities with preparations for the thirtieth anniversary in 2025, and also requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and civil society organizations for appropriate observance;
7. Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations and civil society, including non- governmental organizations, academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day, including special observances and activities in memory and honour of the victims of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, as well as appropriate education and public awareness-raising activities.
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