COPENHAGEN, 11 July 2025 – On the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pere Joan Pons (Spain), called on the international community  and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to remember the victims and honour the survivors of the atrocity.

OSCE PA President Pere Joan Pons and Bosnia and Herzegovina Permanent Representative to the OSCE Ambassador Danka Savić, Vienna, 10 July 2025“The crimes committed in Srebrenica shocked the entire world. They occurred in full view of the international community,” said President Pons. “It was the worst atrocity in Europe since the Holocaust, taking place just 50 years after the end of the Second World War. The genocide in Srebrenica, in which more than 8,000 lives were lost over the course of 11 days, thousands were displaced, and entire communities were shattered, must serve as a lasting lesson on the importance of prevention. We must ensure that such horrors never happen again.”

Since the end of the war in 1995, the OSCE has maintained a strong presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has worked continuously to support democratic governance, human rights, and the rule of law-essential elements of the reconciliation process.

“We cannot undo the crimes committed by war criminals in Srebrenica,” Pons continued, “but we must ensure that justice reaches every perpetrator of those catastrophic massacres. Together, we must remember the victims, support the survivors, and assist Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to democratic progress.”

In May 2024, the United Nations General Assembly, in a resolution sponsored by Germany and Rwanda, declared 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly remains committed to conflict prevention and reconciliation. Notably, the Assembly provides a platform for dialogue among representatives of South East Europe, including those from countries involved in the Balkan wars of the 1990s, whose continued co-operation is essential for lasting peace and stability in the Western Balkans.