Policy Paper Combating Holocaust and Genocide Denial

Denial and distortion of the Holocaust and denial of genocide harms victims and survivors of these crimes and can constitute hate speech by advancing negative stereotypes of individuals or groups based on their identity, explicitly or implicitly. Denial of past atrocity crimes is also a warning sign of societal fragility and of the potential for violence. Today, more than 75 years after the Holocaust and more than 25 years after the genocides in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda, the continued persistence of speech denying or distorting the historical reality of these genocides is a source of serious concern that all stakeholders, and the UN system, should confront. 

This policy paper, informed by an expert brainstorming session convened on 10 December 2021, by the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect and the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, sets out recommendations to stakeholders on how to effectively address these challenges in line with international human rights law. It addresses recognizing and condemning Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion; addressing Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion through law; addressing Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion online; preventing Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion through education; and preventing Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion through memorialization and other transitional justice measures.