'Genocide denial will neither lead to justice nor peace': UN General Assembly president

HAMILTON, Canada

United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Thursday commemorated the 29th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide during an event at UN headquarters in New York.

"Genocide denial will neither lead to justice nor peace. Every nation, regardless of its distance to Bosnia and Herzegovina or its own history, has a responsibility to uphold international court decisions that bring justice to survivors and prevent genocide within its own borders," Francis said at the event, which was attended by Bosnia and Herzegovina Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic and UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu.

Francis highlighted the significance of the day as the first International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, designated by the UN.

He said the day should be used "to honor those lost, educate further generations, unite communities and combat hate in all its forms."

"We must always remain vigilant and guard against rhetoric that dehumanizes, degrades and discriminates against a particular group. Because such rhetoric is always rooted in hate and left unchecked, always leads to unspeakable evil," he said.

Francis stressed the importance of prosecuting the remaining perpetrators of the genocide, and added that "we cannot accept any attempt to simply forget or deny the enormity of what transpired."

Konakovic said the day is "a commitment that such horrors will never be forgotten and that we will continue to strive for justice and reconciliation."

"History cannot be rewritten for political agendas. I urge you to demonstrate your leadership by attending this commemoration next year," he said, adding that genocide denial "insults the memory of the victims and obstructs peace."

"We must reject the politics of division and embrace the principles of truth," Konakovic added.

Nderitu conveyed remarks on behalf of UN chief Antonio Guterres, emphasizing that the genocide "was the worst atrocity in Europe since the Second World War."

Echoing previous speakers, Nderitu said the world must"combat denial and revisionism and pursue efforts to identify every victim and bring every perpetrator to account."

"The genocide in Srebrenica stands as a harrowing testament to the devastating consequences of inaction in the face of hatred," she said.

The event included a video message from the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Becirovic.