On October 2, 2014 the Meeting of Special Envoys for Holocaust Issues took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic – Czerninsky Palace. After the official meeting and discussions, the Special Envoys had a chance to talk with CZ media and UK Special Envoy Sir Andrew Burns, Chair of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, had the interwiev at Czech TV - Udalosti - Komentare
Five years ago the Czech government initiated the Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conference, which resulted in the endorsement of the Terezin Declaration by 47 governments. The Terezin Declaration calls on the countries to find systematic solutions leading to restitution of immovable property, recovery of looted art and Judaica objects, and provision of adequate social welfare to Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazism. The European Shoah Legacy Institute invited the Special Envoys to discuss the progress made in the five years since the endorsement of this Declaration.
Agenda:
Relevance of the Terezin Declaration nowadays (Sir Andrew Burns, Chair of the Meeting of Special Envoys)
Terezin Declaration: Five Years On – Ms. Halyna Senyk, ESLI
Progress in Recovery of Looted Art. Provenance Research in the European Union – Mr. Lochlan Warren, ESLI
Discussions
Results:
Although a number of important points were discussed, the major themes to emerge from the meeting may be summarised as follows:
- Internationalisation of the European Shoah Legacy Institute and its Board/s (through invitations for nominations of foreign government representatives);
- Strengthening political influence, particularly as it relates to the European Union; and
- Increasing the number and scope of financial supporters of the European Shoah Legacy Institute; and
- It was agreed that the European Shoah Legacy Institute will prepare and disseminate a strategic plan for action; the content of which will be discussed at the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by Special Envoys and the Deputy Director of the Special Envoy from the following countries:
The Federal Republic of Germany
The Hellenic Republic
Israel
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United States of America
Ambassadors or their Deputies from the following countries:
Canada
Israel
The French Republic
The Kingdom of Netherlands
The Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Sweden
The Republic of Austria
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United States of America
And Head of the Mission of The Czech Republic to the European Commission and Press Attaché of the Czech Information Office of the European Parliament
Photo Gallery from the Event:
