Jeddah 11th July 2025:  The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the solemn occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, joins the international community in commemorating the memory of more than 8,000 innocent Bosniak Muslim men and boys who were systematically and brutally killed in and around the town of Srebrenica.
The Commission, while recalling the Banjul Declaration of the 15th Islamic Summit[1] and Resolution 18/38-Pol of 38th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers[2], expresses its deepest solidarity with the families of the victims and survivors of this heinous atrocity. The Srebrenica genocide which was formally recognized by both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) remains as an indelible scar on the conscience of humanity. This systematic act of mass murder carried out in a United Nations declared “safe area,” remains a stark reminder of international community’s failure to uphold its collective responsibility to protect vulnerable populations from genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The Srebrenica massacre tragically exposed the limits of preventive diplomacy and consequences of total disregard for human rights and human dignity.
The Commission regrets, that the world continues to witness appalling atrocities against civilian populations. In recent times, a tragedy of epic proportions has unfolded in the Gaza Strip and other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories where over 60,000 Palestinians, including women and children, have lost their lives under brutal military aggression by the Israeli occupation forces. These deliberate and disproportionate acts have been widely condemned and bear the hallmarks of genocidal intent, constituting serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
On this somber day of deep reflection, the Commission underscores the urgent need for the international community to shun double standards, take concrete steps to strengthen the mechanisms of transitional justice, uphold the rule of law, and promote accountability for crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity in accordance with international human rights law. The Commission reiterates its call for sustained global efforts to address the root causes of conflict, promote truth and reconciliation and ensure that no community or nation ever again suffers the horrors of genocidal violence.
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[1] https://new.oic-oci.org/Lists/ConferenceDocuments/Attachments/2630/Banjul%20Declaration%20Final.pdf
[2] https://new.oic-oci.org/Lists/ConferenceDocuments/Attachments/1979/Political%20Affairs.pdf