Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       At the Council meeting on 1st October 2019, the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Dorrian and seconded by Councillor McMullan, had, in accordance with Standing Order 13(f) been referred to the Committee for consideration:

            ‘This Council continues to stand with those who suffered as a result of the Srebrenica genocide. We will continue to support those who suffered during this shameful time and mark the occasion with a suitable event, which informs the wider community and promotes the message of reconciliation.’

1.2       Subsequently, the Committee noted the motion and agreed that a report on how this would be facilitated, resourced and managed would be brought back to the Committee.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Members are asked to approve the following actions:

·        That officers liaise with Remembering Srebrenica to ascertain their plans for the commemoration of the 25th anniversary in 2020.

·        That officers work in partnership with representatives from Remembering Srebrenica to determine how this period can be marked in Belfast.

·        That any proposals be brought to the Shared City Partnership in the first instance for discussion given the remit of the Partnership in this subject matter.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, was the July 1995 massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniaks, mainly men and boys and mostly Muslim, in and around the town of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War.

3.2       In 2005, Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the United Nations described the massacre as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War. Both the International Tribunal to the former state of Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice have ruled the acts committed in July 1995 constituted genocide.

3.3       The 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide will occur on 11th July 2020. In previous years, events have been held between 7-10th July given the time of year.

3.4       Belfast Council has assisted Remembering Srebrenica NI to mark the Srebrenica genocide in July over the past number of years. This has been in the form of provision of a venue and/or the attendance of the Lord Mayor who usually speaks at the event. Support is also provided through TEO and Remembering Srebrenica UK. The latter provides the resource to bring survivors or relatives of those who were killed to tell their story and emphasise the importance of reconciliation including recognition of the steps that can lead to genocide and tackling prejudice at an early stage in a robust way.

3.5       Remembering Srebrenica is a charitable initiative. It organises UK memorial events to honour survivors and keep alive the stories of their loved ones who died. They work with individuals and organisations to help strengthen society by learning the lessons of history to help tackle hatred, racism and intolerance wherever it occurs. They do this through commemoration, education and by taking individuals from communities across the UK to Srebrenica to speak to survivors and families whose loved ones were killed. Following the visit, participants are asked to apply the lessons learned from the experience and apply them in their own community and context to combat prejudice.

3.6       Members may recall that the Good Relations Manager was invited to Bosnia by Remembering Srebrenica UK as part of a delegation from Northern Ireland in September which included senior civil servants from The Executive Office and the Department of Finance. Whilst there, the delegation met a number of groups and organisations including the Mothers of Srebrenica to hear about their work in relation to ensuring the events  in Srebrenica and the impact which is still keenly felt today will not only be remembered but will serve as reminder that intolerance and prejudice must be tackled at many levels within society.

3.7       Given that there is already an organisation which has the responsibility to organise a commemoration event, Members are asked to agree the following:

·        That officers liaise with Remembering Srebrenica to ascertain their plans for the commemoration this year.

·        That Council works in partnership with Remembering Srebrenica to determine how this period can be marked in Belfast.

·        That any proposals be brought to the Shared City Partnership in the first instance for discussion given the remit of the Partnership in this subject matter. .

            On a related note, Members are reminded that the TEO have asked us to partner with them again to deliver and host  International Holocaust Remembrance Day again in January 2020 as next year is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

3.8       Financial & Resource Implications

            Any event/programme costs would be covered through the Council’s Good Relations Action Plan which is 75% funded by The Executive Office.

3.9       Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            The District Council Good Relations Action Plan has been screened for equality, good relations and rural needs, and screened out.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.