The Secretary-General remarks to the General Assembly on the Observance of the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration Of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica

New York, 8 July 2025

(As delivered by the Chef de Cabinet, Courtenay Rattray)

The world comes together in solidarity and reflection on this 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica – the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.

In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were systematically separated from their families, executed, and buried in mass graves.

Thousands of women, children and older persons were forcibly displaced.

An entire generation was lost.

The intention was the elimination of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.

Today, we remember and honour the victims.

We pay tribute to the strength, dignity and courage of the survivors and families.

And we acknowledge hard truths. 

Thirty years ago, the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica.

This collective failure was not an accident of history.

It was the result of policies, propaganda, and international indifference.

Since then, the survivors, the families of victims, in particular the “Mothers of Srebrenica”, have shown extraordinary courage in their pursuit of truth and justice.

They are helping to raise new generations with love, not hate.

Their unwavering resolve and bravery – facing the perpetrators again and again – have been vital to the determination made by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, and the International Court of Justice:

The determination that the acts committed at Srebrenica in 1995 constituted genocide.

The Tribunal made clear that criminal responsibility for the crime of genocide under international law is individualized.

It cannot be attributed to any ethnic, religious or other group or community as a whole.

And the International Court of Justice made clear that States have a clear obligation to prevent genocide.

We must uphold and preserve these judicially established findings;

And we must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard – countering denial, distortion and revisionism.

Only by recognizing the suffering of all victims can we build mutual understanding, trust, and lasting peace.

Every person in Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves a future free from the shadows of conflict and division.

Today, as we remember, we must also confront reality.

After Srebrenica, once again, the world said “Never Again”.

Yet, hate speech is on the rise again – fueling discrimination, extremism, and violence.

We see the glorification of war criminals again.

We see the same dangerous currents that once led to atrocity crimes again.

Dear friends, we cannot ignore these warning signs.

I call on every Member State to fulfil their shared responsibility:

To uphold the lessons of Srebrenica, to preserve historical truth, and to protect human dignity.

Let us confront denial with truth – and impunity with justice;

And let us honour our obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

In memory of the victims;

In solidarity with the survivors and their loved ones;

And in the name of our shared humanity.

Thank you.

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