At midday today, Council of Europe staff, representatives of Diplomatic missions, Roma activists and the general public gathered to commemorate the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day. On this day in 1944, over 3 000 Roma men, women and children were exterminated in gas chamber V of the "Zigeunerlager BIII" at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The participants laid roses g by the “Human Rights” sculpture in front of the Palais de l’Europe building, and took a minute of silence to pay tribute to all the victims who lost their life in this unspeakable act.
Speeches from the commemorative event:
- Speech by Ms Claudia Luciani, Director of Human Dignity, Equality and Governance at the Council of Europe.
- Speech by Mr Shane Griffin, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ireland to the Council of Europe, on behalf of the Irish Presidency of the Committee of Minsters.
- Speech by Mr Constantin-Alexandru Manda, Representative of the Council of Europe's Advisory Council on Youth
