The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, addressed the United Nations General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide in 1995, saying that the adoption of the Resolution on Srebrenica represented “a triumph of truth, a step towards justice and an encouragement for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the whole world”.
Addressing representatives of member states of the United Nations, religious officials, the Mothers of Srebrenica and representatives of victims’ associations, Bećirović reminded that it was in the hall of the UN General Assembly that numerous decisions were made during the last eight decades that shaped the modern history of humanity, among which was the Resolution on the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Genocide in Srebrenica in 1995.
He emphasized that the adoption of this resolution is an important step forward in preserving historical truth and the international legal order.
“The adoption of this resolution is a triumph of truth, a step towards justice and an encouragement for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the whole world,” said Bećirović.
He reminded that the highest courts of the United Nations – the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia – established with final verdicts that in July 1995, genocide was committed against Bosniaks in the then UN protected zone in Srebrenica.
He pointed out that these judgments are a permanent part of the international legal heritage and that it is not possible to erase them from the history of mankind.
“The highest courts of the United Nations have proven what happened in Srebrenica in 1995. The committed genocide against Bosniaks has been documented in detail, scientifically proven and ruled by a court,” he said.
Speaking about the scale of the crime, Bećirović emphasized that genocide is not represented by statistics or numbers, but by human destinies.
“It’s about interrupted human lives. People who had names, surnames, families and dreams. Children who didn’t grow up. Mothers who never welcomed their sons,” he said, adding that these are just some of the consequences of the genocide committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country in the heart of Europe.
The Chairman of the BiH Presidency pointed out that states that have the strength to face the darkest parts of their own past show responsibility towards future generations, while states that deny the facts established by the court remain trapped in hatred and instability.
In this context, he called for the protection of the international legal order and the authority of international institutions.
“Today, more than ever, we must defend the integrity of international law and the authority of international institutions. We must not allow judicially determined facts to become the subject of political calculations,” he said.
He particularly warned that denial of genocide represents a serious threat to peace and security.
“Denying the genocide against Bosniaks is an anti-civilization act. It is an insult to the dead and a new threat to the living,” he said.
Speaking about the significance of marking the International Day of Remembrance and commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica under the auspices of the United Nations, Bećirović emphasized that its value is not only in confirming the historical truth, but also in the preventive role it plays in preventing future crimes.
As he stated, the obligation to prevent genocide does not begin the moment the weapon speaks, but much earlier – through the educational process, nurturing the culture of memory, normative and institutional protection of human dignity, as well as decisive opposition to hate speech, discrimination and dehumanization.
“We must strengthen the culture of memory. Memory is not a burden that divides nations. Truth is the foundation on which lasting peace is built. Without truth, there is no trust, and without justice, there is no reconciliation,” he pointed out.
In the final part of the address, Bećirović said that “the Great Serbian ideology and politics that led to the genocide did not win”, stressing that the war criminals did not achieve their goal.
He said that they did not win because the truth lives on, because the Mothers of Srebrenica preserved the dignity of the victims and persevered in the fight for truth and justice, because there are verdicts from the highest international courts, but also because there is a UN General Assembly Resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica.
He added that today the truth about Bosnia and Herzegovina and Srebrenica is preserved by well-intentioned people around the world.
Speaking about the responsibility of future generations, the Chairman of the BiH Presidency pointed out that the memory of Srebrenica is not only a debt to the victims but also an obligation to those who come.
He emphasized that young people must learn facts based on court rulings and evidence, because only the truth can be the basis of lasting peace.
“We must all be aware that remembrance is not turning to the past. It is the most responsible form of caring for the future,” Denis Bećirović concluded in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide in 1995.
