Genocide has no place in our world. No one should fear discrimination, persecution or violence because of who they are. Canada will always continue to strive for a world in which all human beings are equal in dignity and rights. Canada strongly condemns the acts committed in Srebrenica. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) established that a genocide was committed in Srebrenica in 1995, where over 7,000 Muslim men and boys from Bosnia were executed following the city’s capture by Bosnian Serb troops. Several completed ICTY cases related to the events that took place in Srebrenica have helped to define the genocide. Canada supported the ICTY and its findings. The International Court of Justice and European Parliament Member States also recognized that genocide was committed in Srebrenica.
In 2010, Parliament unanimously adopted Resolution M 416 recognizing the events in Srebrenica as genocide. That same year, the House of Commons also unanimously adopted a motion recognizing July 11 as Srebrenica Remembrance Day. This act of recognition reflects the deeply felt sorrow of Canadians from across the country for the horrific events that occurred and will ensure that they will not be forgotten. July 11 is a day of remembrance and respect, during which the victims of the Srebrenica genocide are honoured and tribute is paid to the survivors, who continue to live with the painful memories of those tragic days.
Two international tribunals have confirmed the Srebrenica genocide, yet there are individuals that continue to promote revisionist stories about the conflict and deny the Srebrenica genocide. The government of Canada remains determined to bring to justice the perpetrators of the atrocities committed in the former Yugoslavia and will continue to work with allies to ensure this objective is met and to put an end to impunity, out of respect for the victims and the pain and suffering of the survivors.
Canada has historically provided support to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the Bosnian people, and continues to provide further support. As a member of the Peace Implementation Council and a friend of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada remains committed to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina in its development as a stable, economically viable and multi ethnic democracy, anchored in the Euro Atlantic family.
