Ambassador Holland honours the memory of those killed in the
Srebrenica genocide, and underlines the UK's support to Bosnia
and Herzegovina in its ongoing efforts to build a stable,
inclusive country for all its citizens.
"Madam Chair, 30 years ago in Srebrenica, genocide took place in
Europe for the first time since 1945. Over 8,000 innocent men and
boys were brutally killed in a single month that summer, and more
than 20,000 women and children were forcibly uprooted from their
homes. We honour the memory of those killed, pay tribute to the
survivors, and stand firm alongside them in their pursuit of
justice and reconciliation.
On 16 June, the UK marked our National Srebrenica Memorial Day at
a ceremony in St Paul's Cathedral, attended by the Deputy Prime
Minister. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh will visit
Bosnia and Herzegovina this week for the official Commemoration
at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
found that several individuals were guilty of genocide in
Srebrenica. Acknowledgement of that fact should in no way be seen
as an attempt to blame an entire country or people for the
suffering of another, and it should not be a cause for tension
and division. Rather, it is a basis on which true reconciliation
can be achieved.
The UK stands with Bosnia and Herzegovina in its ongoing efforts
to build a stable, inclusive country for all its citizens,
regardless of religion or ethnicity, and to heal the divisions
inflicted by war. It is deeply troubling that divisive and
inciteful rhetoric, reckless secessionist ambitions, and direct
attacks on the Dayton Peace Agreement – which remains Bosnia and
Herzegovina's constitutional framework – continue to threaten
peace and stability.
Madam Chair, this will be the fourth successive year that we mark
this anniversary in the shadow of Russia's war of aggression
against Ukraine. Terrible events such as the genocide at
Srebrenica show the consequences of inaction. We owe it to the
victims to create societies that are stable, inclusive and
cohesive, and to fight against prejudice, hatred, fear and
division. Remaining true to our shared commitment to the
concept of comprehensive security, articulated by the Helsinki
principles and central to membership of the OSCE, remains the
best way to achieve this.
Only through such collective responsibility can we honour the
past, respect the survivors' enduring efforts, and work to ensure
that atrocities such as the Srebrenica genocide are never
repeated.
Thank you, Madam Chair."
