Mgr.Tomasi to hold Keynote Speech

BERLIN, February 7, 2017 - H.E Mgr. Silvano Maria Tomasi, Secretary Delegate of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, is confirmed to hold the keynote speech at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conference in cooperation with the Holy See on refugee policies from 1933 to the present day, to be held in Rome from 16-17 February 2017.

Mgr. Silvano Tomasi was Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva and co-founded the Center for Migration Studies, a think tank based in New York. Speaking at the 106th General Session of the IOM, the International Organization for Migration, in 2015 Mgr. Tomasi referred to the refugee situation as "a global challenge to which the international community should respond with a concerted political strategy and common humanitarian values, rather than populist rhetoric."

The conference is aimed at public policy-makers from Europe, North America and the Middle East, media representatives and representatives of NGOs and civil society organizations. At a time when the current situation of refugees in Europe and the Middle East continues to dominate the news and the political arena, this conference brings together experts in Holocaust history and contemporary policy-makers to reflect on the past with a view to concretely informing positive, ethically responsible, and rational policy-making today. The outcome of the conference will be a concrete set of recommendations for international policy-makers.

The draft programme and further information on speakers is available on the website of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

The conference "Refugee Policies from 1933 until Today:  Challenges and Responsibilities" is organized by Advisor to the IHRA, Professor Steven Katz, Co-Head of the Austrian Delegation to the IHRA, Ambassador Michael Baier, Dr Robert Williams, Deputy Director of International Affairs at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (US Delegation to the IHRA) and Dr Veerle Vanden Daelen, adjunct general director and curator of Kazerne Dossin (Belgian Delegation to the IHRA). The conference hashtag will be #seekingprotection.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance unites governments and experts to shape and advance Holocaust education, remembrance and research world-wide, to speak out on Holocaust related issues including antisemitism, and to uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA has 31 Member Countries, eleven Observer Countries, and seven international partner organisations.

You can register to attend the conference by going to the EventBrite page. Registration closes on 7 February. 

All journalists and media organizations wishing to apply for accreditation may request TEMPORARY accreditation through the online form available on the Accreditation Section of Holy See Press Office website.

Journalists and media organizations regularly accredited at the Holy See Press Office may send their request through the usual channels.

All requests must be sent no less than 48 hours before the event.

Contact: Laura Robertson / IHRA Media Contact:
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