Human Rights Action (HRA), the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), and ANIMA – Centre for Women’s and Peace Education have requested that the Government of Montenegro, the Parliament of Montenegro, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights announce what activities they are planning to mark 11 July – the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
Back in 2021, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica, by which it recognised the genocide committed in July 1995 and committed itself to condemning it and fostering a culture of remembrance. Furthermore, pursuant to the 2024 Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, since last year Montenegro has been obliged to officially commemorate 11 July as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Srebrenica Genocide.
We have requested information from the competent institutions regarding planned commemorative, educational and cultural programmes, the budgetary resources allocated for their implementation, as well as the activities being undertaken to improve education about the Srebrenica genocide and the culture of remembrance in Montenegro.
At a time when genocide denial and ideologically and politically motivated revisionism are still present in the region, and bearing in mind that genocide denial represents its final stage, we believe that the institutional preservation of the memory of the victims and the public paying of tribute constitute not only a moral but also a political and social obligation of the state.
We warn that the absence of dignified and meaningful institutional commemoration of 11 July would be difficult to reconcile with the obligations Montenegro has undertaken at both the domestic and international levels and would send a troubling message regarding the state’s attitude towards the victims of genocide, judicially established facts, and remembrance policies based on respect for human rights.
We expect the public to be informed in a timely manner about the planned activities and the manner in which state institutions will mark the Day of Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide this year.
Human Rights Action (HRA)
Centre for Civic Education (CCE)
ANIMA – Centre for Women’s and Peace Education