The role of the United Nations in combating antisemitism

17 November 2020 - At the occasion of 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the World Jewish Congress in partnership with the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN brought together actors in the fight against antisemitism, to discuss how the UN could address this issue. Miguel Moratinos, High representative for the UN Alliance of  Civilizations and UN Focal Point to monitor Anti-Semitism and enhance a system-wide-respons, informed to work towards “having an agreement on a definition on antisemitoism based on the IHRA definition which constitutes a real basis to start from.”

The discussion focused on the role of the United Nations in responding to antisemitism, as part of their efforts to combat all forms of hatred and featured distinguished speakers. Following interventions by Miguel Moratinos, Ambassador Michaela Küchler of Germany, President of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, Amb. Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, and Tatiana Valovaya, Director-general of the United Nations at Geneva, Katharina von Schnurbein joint Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Karel Fracapane, Programme Specialist - UNESCO Division for Peace and Sustainable Development, and Tracey Petersen, Programme Manager of the Holocaust and UN Outreach Programme in the Department of Global Communications, in a panel debate.

The following countries committed, through written or video pledges, to work alongside the UN in order to better address antisemitism: Albania, Austria, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Ukraine, United States and Uruguay.