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Minister-Councillor Bayart,
Professor Bussière,
Professor Laugier,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have a real challenge on our hands. As time passes and the number of people who lived through the Second World War dwindles, how do we recall the horrors that went on? How do we re-tell their stories in ways which are vivid enough to help avoid any repeat of our dark past?

Remembering is not simply an act of respect towards those who suffered. Remembering is one of our greatest protections against the resurgence of violent prejudice and hate.

This is true for all of the victims of the Holocaust. Firstly for the Jewish people and the six million individuals who were exterminated. It is also true for the other persecuted groups, including Roma, people with disabilities, Jehovah Witnesses and homosexuals.

For these groups, the challenge has been all the more difficult: they have had to fight for their right to be remembered at all.

There is still limited understanding among the public about the fate of homosexual Europeans who were sent to Nazi concentration camps. Survivors who have spoken out have been few and far between, often silenced by either fear or shame. Collectively, there has been little effort to tell their story.

It is only thanks to the pioneering work of dedicated historians and campaigners that the truth – at least some of it – has now been unearthed. And I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of the academics, researchers and associations who have driven this, many of whom are represented here today.

We now know that, from 1933 to 1945, an estimated 100.000 men from all over Europe — Austria, France, the Netherlands, Poland and what was then Czechoslovakia — were arrested, just because they were homosexuals.

We know that some 50,000 officially defined homosexuals were sentenced by the courts. Most of these men spent time in regular prisons. An estimated 5,000 to 15,000 of those sentenced were incarcerated in concentration camps, where like other inmates they had to wear uniforms with various identifying marks. These marks were either a large black dot and a large "175" — the number of the paragraph of the German Penal Code prohibiting homosexual acts — drawn on the back of the jacket; or later a pink triangular patch.

Thanks to the courage of individuals who have spoken out, we also now know about some of the personal tragedies. A man called Pierre Seel was deported to the Schirmeck camp at the age of 17. Forty years after his deportation, and following what he describes as an "ordered life" as a heterosexual, he came out in 1982 and dared to describe his suffering.

At a meeting of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Peter explained that not only did homosexual prisoners in the camps suffer extreme brutality at the hands of the guards; they also drew a special contempt from their fellow prisoners. They faced hate everywhere they turned.

This suffering must be remembered, and this is what we do in our programme  "Passing on the Remembrance of the Holocaust and prevention of crimes against humanity". This is possible thanks to the European Cultural Convention –  adopted sixty years ago in December 1954 and now signed by fifty countries –  which stresses the importance of history teaching, including rememberance, in all European States.

In 2011, this programme became a cross-cutting one, incorporating the dimensions of culture, heritage, youth and action against racism and intolerance.  Education is key, at all levels: primary, secondary and university. It is how we equip the next generation to build and protect open societies which are tolerant and diverse.

Today’s colloquy is part of the Council of Europe's drive to remember all the victims of the holocaust, supporting the efforts of historians and building greater awareness of the fate of specific groups.

It is also a moment to speak out against the homophobia and discrimination which still stalk our continent and our world. A moment to renew our commitment to building on the progress that has been made. In fact let us emphasise that huge strides have been taken, in particular through the de-criminalization of homosexual acts throughout Europe.

Five years ago, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe went one important step further and adopted a historic Recommendation on combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.  In human rights terms, this was the world's first instrument specifically focusing on sexual orientation and gender identity.  It was also the first instrument setting out standards regarding the rights of transgender persons.  It gave the Council of Europe a solid legal instrument for combating discrimination and reinforcing the rights of LGBT persons in its 47 member States.  The adoption of this Recommendation fostered the implementation of real changes and real progress.  It has driven concrete legal and political reforms.

We still have still a long way to go before we can claim to guarantee universal human rights to all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Much still needs to be done before we can claim that they enjoy equal dignity and equal rights, without any discrimination. But I want you to know – that, as Europe's leading human rights organisation, the Council of Europe will continue to support member States to combat the discrimination and challenges faced by LGBT people.

We will not forget the suffering of the past. We will work every day to make sure it doesn’t repeat itself in the future.

Thank you for your attention.