July 11, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

“Today, Canada reflects on the genocide of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys and the displacement of over 20,000 women and children, who were forcibly expelled from their homes by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As we mark this sombre occasion, we welcome the official recognition of this day as the first International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, following a resolution approved by the UN General Assembly on May 23, 2024.

“Today, we honour the memory of the victims of the massacre and acknowledge the deep and embedded emotional scars carried by survivors and their loved ones, as they continue to try to heal from this tragic event.

“The extraordinary courage and resilience shown by the survivors is inspiring. As co-sponsor of the UN resolution, Canada remembers those murdered and offers its condolences to everyone that has lost a family member or a friend. We stand with the victims and survivors’ families in their ongoing fight for justice. 

“At a time when interethnic tensions are on the rise throughout the Western Balkans, and as Russia attempts to undermine democracy in the region, we commit to defend the full implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement and the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a multiethnic state. Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina is peace in the region.

“As we mark the 75^th anniversary of NATO this week in Washington, Canada will also continue to support NATO’s presence in the Western Balkans in order to uphold peace and stability in the region.

“As echoes of the past emerge, the greatest respect that we can give to those who were killed is to work toward reconciliation and to do everything we can to prevent such a horrific crime from ever happening again.

“We must never forget Srebrenica”