To download this statement by the Expert Members of the Aus­trali­an Del­eg­a­tion to IHRA in PDF format, click here.

Late on Tuesday night, 4 June 2019, Australia was admitted to full mem­ber­ship of the Inter­na­tion­al Holocaust Remem­brance Alliance (IHRA) following a unanimous vote of the plenary in Lux­em­bourg. Australia is the 33^rd State to achieve full mem­ber­ship.  This has been a four-year process supported by the United Kingdom, as Aus­trali­a’s mentor, led by Lord Eric Pickles.

IHRA is the inter­na­tion­al and inter­gov­ern­ment­al body promoting Holocaust education, remem­brance and research and coun­ter­ing antisemitism, racism and anti-Roma and Sinti prejudice.  IHRA grew out of the Stockholm Declar­a­tion, an ini­ti­at­ive of the Swedish gov­ern­ment to ensure that countries remember and educate their citizens about the Holocaust and its universal messages.

Over the period of Aus­trali­a’s involve­ment, we have seen the adoption of the working defin­i­tion of antisemitism by IHRA, the European Union, and a range of national gov­ern­ments and organ­isa­tions around the world, including the National Union of Students in Australia.

Now that Australia is a full member, with a seat at the table, we are able to fully par­ti­cip­ate in IHRA’s efforts to formulate policies, plans and programs advancing Holocaust education, com­mem­or­a­tion and research. This is par­tic­u­larly important given the large number of Holocaust survivors and their des­cend­ants in Australia. Mem­ber­ship also provides a mandate to further enhance Aus­trali­a’s efforts in Holocaust education and com­mem­or­a­tion with the support through IHRA of leading experts from around the world.

The Aus­trali­an gov­ern­ment’s com­mit­ment to IHRA enjoys bi-partisan support and is facil­it­ated through the Depart­ment of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Head of the Aus­trali­an del­eg­a­tion is Lynette Wood, Ambas­sad­or to Germany.  After the accept­ance at the plenary, she read a statement from Foreign Minister, Senator Marise Payne, and conveyed the Aus­trali­an gov­ern­ment’s appre­ci­ation of the support of the UK del­eg­a­tion, led by Lord Pickles, and the passion and ded­ic­a­tion of the Aus­trali­an expert del­eg­a­tion. She also noted that Australia was the first Indo-Pacific nation to join IHRA.

The IHRA chair, Georges Santer, welcomed Australia bringing the fifth continent into the organ­isa­tion and commended Australia on its par­ti­cip­a­tion.

Contact
Peter Wertheim AM | co-CEO
ph: 02 8353 8500 | m: 0408 160 904 | fax 02 9361 5888
e: [email protected] | www.ecaj.org.au