IHRA Chair addresses OSCE

On 21 January, the IHRA Chair spoke in Vienna at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting dedicated to Holocaust remembrance.

The IHRA was invited to participate in the event in light of its signifcant contribution to the development of international cooperation on Holocaust education, remembrance and research. The Head of the German IHRA delegation, Ambassador Felix Klein, was also in attendance at the event.

The IHRA Chair thanked colleagues at the OSCE/ODIHR (one of IHRA's seven Permanent Internationa Partner organizations) for their excellent work and cooperation with the IHRA, noting the success of a recent pilot program of professional development for educators and teacher trainers which was organized in Moldova in September 2015.

Mr Takács continued: "The task of the international community- be it of IHRA, the UN, the OSCE or the EU- is clear: unless we adequately tackle contemporary challenges such as antisemitism and Holocaust denial, they will prevail and we shall face insurmountable problems of insecurity, fear and social tensions within our own societies."

In 2016 the OSCE Chairmanship is held by Germany. The OSCE is a forum for political dialogue on a wide range of security issues and a platform for joint action to improve the lives of individuals
and communities. Tolerance, non-discrimination and combatting antisemtism accordingly form part of the core values of the OSCE and are priorities for the German OSCE Chairmanship.

Read the full address given by the IHRA Chair here.