UN chief welcomes General Assembly resolution to reject Holocaust denial

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed a General Assembly resolution to reject Holocaust denial, said his spokesman.

The secretary-general welcomes the adoption by the General Assembly of the historic resolution which rejects and condemns without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

"As the secretary-general has often said, we can never let down our guard in the face of increasing attempts to deny, distort or minimize the Holocaust. We must also adapt and respond to new forms of anti-Semitism fueled by ignorance or conspiracy theories, also circulating online," he said. "Today's resolution, adopted by consensus, makes it clear that all member states must condemn and actively combat Holocaust denial."

The United Nations will continue to develop and implement educational and advocacy programs aimed at countering Holocaust denial and distortion, said the statement.

The General Assembly resolution "rejects and condemns without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part," and urges all UN member states to do so as well.

The resolution urges member states to develop educational programs that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help prevent future acts of genocide.

It also urges member states and social media companies to take active measures to combat anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial or distortion by means of information and communications technologies and to facilitate reporting of such content.