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UN chief urges eradication of roots of hatred, intolerance

Xinhua, January 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday urged eradication of "the deep roots of hatred and intolerance" on the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

Ban, in a message to mark the day, noted that 70 years ago today, allied forces liberated Auschwitz Birkenau, the German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp.

The mass killing of over 1 million inmates, primarily Jews in Auschwitz, was motivated by the perverse, race-based ideology of the Nazis. "Humankind united to overcome the Nazi menace," Ban said.

The UN chief pointed out that we are tested again, where minorities often face bigotry, sectarian tensions and other forms of intolerance are on the rise. He stressed that the UN, whose mission was shaped by the tragedy of the Second World War and the Holocaust, is committed to protect the vulnerable, promote fundamental human rights and uphold the freedom, dignity and worth of every person.

The violence and bias we see every day are stark reminders of the distance still to travel in upholding human rights, preventing genocide and defending our common humanity, said Ban.

"We must redouble our efforts to eradicate the deep roots of hatred and intolerance. People everywhere must unite to stop the cycles of discord and build a world of inclusion and mutual respect," he said.

In 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which designated Jan. 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, the day when Auschwitz death camp was liberated in 1945.

This is the first time that the international organization made a remembrance of victims of the holocaust as a way to prevent future genocides.

The UN holds a solemn ceremony each year at the UN General Assembly Hall to pay tribute to the 6 million Jews and countless others massacred in the Nazi Holocaust each year.

This year, as the UN headquarters was closed on Tuesday due to a snowstorm, the event has been rescheduled to Jan. 28. Endite