27th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide: UK statement to the OSCE

On 11 July we paused to remember the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to honour the survivors.

The genocide claimed the lives of over 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys and led to the displacement of over 20,000 women and children who were forcibly expelled from their homes.

It remains a great concern that some continue to deny the genocide. Srebrenica was a genocide, and the International Courts have confirmed this.

We share the deep concerns of many citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the growing trend of denial of genocide and other war crimes, on hate speech, and the glorification of war criminals. This is a threat to stability, and to the prospects of building a country in which all are welcome and able to succeed. The UK urges political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to take action against such destabilising behaviour, and to focus on supporting the victims and their families to find justice and solace.

This year we remember Srebrenica in the shadow of the ongoing war in Ukraine. As my Foreign Secretary said during her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in May this year, we must learn the lessons of history and the consequences of inaction. The West took too long to act in the 1990s. We were not bold enough to prevent terrible events such as the genocide at Srebrenica. We said never again would we allow such suffering in Europe - Let's show that we meant it.