GENEVA – A dangerous wave of denialism is undermining efforts to secure truth, justice and non‑recurrence worldwide, a UN expert said today, warning that state politicians and other actors are denying past violations, glorifying perpetrators, stigmatising victims and erasing collective memory through attacks on civil society and memorialisation initiatives.
“There can be no regression or reversal. The denial of genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes must be unequivocally rejected and countered,” said Bernard Duhaime, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.
In his latest report to the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, Duhaime said denialism reflects a shift away from evidence‑based accountability, replaced with emotionally charged narratives, identity affirmation and polarisation to serve narrow political or ideological interests.
“Denial of past events is often accompanied by the silencing of dissenting voices. It limits societal understanding of past violence, undermines victims’ rights to justice and reparations, and weakens prospects for non‑recurrence,” the expert said.
“Regrettably, too often, States’ responses to denialism – through memory or security laws – have also been problematic, serving as a pretext for censorship and and the imposition of a single, state-sanctioned narrative,” Duhaime warned.
Recalling that international law requires the active disclosure of accurate accounts of past violations, he called on States to ensure maximum transparency, disclosure and accountability.
“Information concerning international crimes must never be subject to secrecy, classification or other access restrictions that do not comply with international human rights standards,” he said.
“In fact, freedom of expression, cultural rights, education, and access to knowledge are the most effective tools to counter denialism. Rather than restrictive legislation, States should invest in inclusive, evidence‑based education, critical thinking, digital literacy, and robust memorialisation processes,” Duhaime said.
He said digital technologies, social media and artificial intelligence systems have amplified the scope, reach and monetisation of denialist content, and called on technology companies to redouble their efforts to ensure regular human rights due diligence and review.
“Technology companies must act with heightened diligence to avoid fuelling denialism, disinformation and hate speech. To do so, they must enhance transparency, address business models that incentivise denialist content, ensure remedies to ensure that their platforms are safe for marginalised persons or groups, and strengthen cooperation with civil society,” Duhaime said.
