Statement by H.E. Eglantina Gjermeni, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Albania
1527th Permanent Council, Current Issues “Commemorating Srebrenica Genocide” 9 July 2025, Vienna
Thank you, Mr. Chair,
We joined the statement delivered by the European Union, but I would like to make some additional remarks on our national capacity.
Today, we bow our heads in memory of more than 8,000 innocent boys and men who were brutally murdered in Srebrenica in July 1995. Thirty years have passed, yet the pain of that genocide still reverberates in the hearts of survivors, in the families of those who perished, and in communities across the region and beyond. The Srebrenica genocide undeniably had a religious matrix, part of an ethnic cleansing exercise. Those human beings were killed only because they were Muslims.
Srebrenica is not only a tragedy of the past, it is a lasting wound in the conscience of humanity. It stands as a grim reminder of where hatred, unchecked nationalism, and silence in the face of injustice can lead. It was the consequence of dehumanizing hate, of nationalist extremism turned into violence, of institutionalized impunity, and of international failure to act.
That is why remembrance matters. That is why truth matters.
The adoption last year of the United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Remembrance of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide was not just a symbolic gesture. It was an international stand against denial, against revisionism, and against the dangerous idea that some lives are worth less than others.
Let us be clear. Genocide denial is not a legitimate narrative. It is an attack on truth and dignity. It is the final stage of genocide, and it fuels the conditions for future crimes. As we commemorate Srebrenica, we must call out every attempt to relativize or justify what happened. The facts have been established by courts. Justice, though incomplete, has spoken.
And yet, even today, we see how fragile truth remains.
We see it in the glorification of war criminals.
We see it in the rewriting of history in parts of the Western Balkans.
We see it in the devastating war of aggression against Ukraine.
We see it in our region and beyond, where the protection of civilians is eroded, where suffering is politicized, and where accountability is far too often replaced by silence.
The killing of thousands of civilians, including so many children, the destruction of entire communities, and the disregard for international humanitarian law all demand our moral attention. We must never look away from the suffering of civilians, wherever it occurs. There can be no double standards when it comes to protecting human life and upholding accountability.
Mr. Chair,
Albania stands firmly on the side of truth and justice. We honour the victims of Srebrenica not only with solemn words, but with principled action, with our vote at the United Nations, with our commitment to peace in our region, and with our determination to speak out when human dignity is under threat.
Because remembrance is not about the past alone. It is about who we are, and who we choose to be.
Thank you.
