Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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November 17, 2025 Culture and education
A permanent memorial, "The Flower of Srebrenica," dedicated to one of the most tragic chapters in Europe's recent history, was unveiled in the garden of the UN headquarters in New York City on the East River. The sculpture was donated to the UN earlier this year by Bosnia and Herzegovina to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
War in the Balkans
The war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia claimed over 100,000 lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, mostly Bosniak Muslims, and forced more than two million more to flee their homes. People were detained and placed in concentration camps, thousands of Bosnian women were systematically raped—the list of atrocities committed is endless, but Srebrenica remains the most horrific chapter of that war.
Genocide in Srebrenica
In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces captured the city of Srebrenica, previously declared a "safe zone" by the UN, and brutally murdered approximately 8,000 men and adolescents. The UN was unable to prevent this genocide – a small and poorly armed contingent of Dutch peacekeepers proved unable to resist the Bosnian Serb forces. The largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust occurred. Another 20,000 people were expelled from their city.
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The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have recognized the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica, committed by the Army of Republika Srpska, as an act of genocide.
"We also acknowledge a bitter truth that must be spoken openly," said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, opening the ensemble. "The United Nations failed to protect the people of Srebrenica. That is why this memorial is located here, on this site, in this garden. It is symbolic that the flower of Srebrenica has taken root at UN headquarters. It is a silent, yet powerful, and constant reminder of the responsibility we bear to those we failed to protect."
Photo UN/L. Felipe
Bosnia and Herzegovina donated the memorial to the UN as part of the UN Srebrenica Genocide Awareness Programme. "The permanent memorial is an integral part of this programme, designed to encourage visitors to reflect on what happened and honor the memory of the victims," UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at a briefing.
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