Special event to mark the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York in cooperation with the Office of the President of the General Assembly.

When: Wednesday, 28 January 2026, 8:30-9:45am EST

Where: UNHQ – Trusteeship Council Chamber

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of the Holocaust and of the catastrophic consequences of hatred, antisemitism, racism, and intolerance. As the largest concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau was the site where more than one million people—primarily Jews, as well as Roma, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, and others—were systematically murdered during World War II.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum will provide a live tour of designated areas of the site with a mobile camera unit. The event offers a powerful and accessible educational experience, allowing audiences in New York to witness and understand its historical significance. There will be opportunities to address questions to the guide.

The event aims to:

  • Provide Member States, UN staff and youth audiences with a meaningful, historically grounded understanding of the Auschwitz-Birkenau site.
  • Employ innovative technology to enhance Holocaust remembrance and education.
  • Complement the official UN commemoration by offering an in-depth, experiential learning opportunity.
  • Encourage dialogue on the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust’s lessons in preventing genocide, discrimination, and antisemitism.

Programme

8:30?????????Welcome and opening remarks

  • President of the General Assembly,?H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
  • Permanent Representative of Poland to the UN,?H.E. Mr. Krzysztof Szczerski
  • Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN,?H.E. Mr. Thomas Zahneisen

8:35?????????Live Virtual Guided Tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and?Museum

9:45?????????Conclusion of event