The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) stands stronger when Sweden takes over the presidency

– We are facing difficult challenges. But there is also progress, and there is hope. It is clear that the work of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is highly influential in education, remembrance, and research about the Holocaust and the Roma genocide. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says this is clearly inspiring others to follow us down the broken path.

Listen to Prime Minister Ulf Christerson’s speech here (spoken and written English)

Presidency priorities

During Sweden’s year as President, the main priority was to contribute to the strengthening of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and to increase the influence of the organization. One of the successes during Sweden’s presidency was the decision on a new, stable, long-term financing model for the organization’s operations. The International Holocaust Remembrance Coalition also adopted a set of measures due to Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, among other things educational materials on the distortion of the Holocaust were translated into Ukrainian and Russian. During the year, Sweden also followed through on the commitments made by the delegations that participated during the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Fighting Anti-Semitism 2021.

During the year of the Presidency, Sweden has organized two plenary sessions, in Stockholm during June 2022 and in Gothenburg during November/December 2022. In addition to the plenary sessions, the Presidency has also arranged for and participated in several conferences. An example is the International Conference on the Roma Genocide and the Fight against Anti-Roma which took place in October 2022.

Sweden’s role in the IHRA

Sweden has a special role in IHRA as co-founder and initiator of the organization. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is an intergovernmental organization that grew out of an initiative taken by then Prime Minister Goran Persson in 1998, along with US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

With regard to the Malmö International Forum for the Remembrance of the Holocaust and the Fight against Anti-Semitism, 60 delegations from a number of different countries pledged to intensify action in the region through a number of concrete commitments. One of Sweden’s commitments was to assume the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and to follow through on the nearly 150 commitments made at the Malmö Forum. These obligations could relate, for example, to the establishment of museums and memorial sites on the Holocaust or to taking various kinds of measures against anti-Semitism, for example. Through special strategies or training efforts.

During Sweden’s presidency between March 2022 and February 2023, Ambassador Ann Burns was Chair. Croatia holds the presidency after Sweden.