Worldwide Recognition of the Holodomor as Genocide
International level
Baltic Assembly
The Baltic Assembly, acknowledging that genocide and political repressions are crimes against humanity; condemning the genocide and political repressions committed in 1932 and 1933 as a
result of which the Ukrainian people experienced mental and physical sufferings; /…/ expresses the deepest sympathy to the victims of genocide and political repressions, as well as to the entire Ukrainian people who have endured these sufferings.
European Parliament
Resolution of the European Parliament dated 15.12.2022.
Members of the European Parliament strongly condemn these actions, which led to the death of millions of Ukrainians, and call on all countries and organizations that have not yet done so to follow their example and recognize it as genocide.
EU-UKRAINE PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION COMMITTEE
Joint statement. Post-Vilnius agenda for EU–Ukraine relations. 14 November 2013
The Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) /…/ commemorates with a sense of deep sorrow the victims of the 1932–1933 Holodomor in Ukraine and urges the EU Member States to condemn the criminal actions of the totalitarian USSR regime which orchestrated the Holodomor Ukrainian genocide and to commemorate the millions of victims of the Holodomor, particularly during formal events at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on 28 and 29 November 2013.
Resolution dated 03.10.2024 “Commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor — Ukraine again faces the threat of genocide.”
State level
Estonia
Statement of Riigicogu (Parliament) of Estonia. October 20, 1993
As a result of the policy of genocide directed against the Ukrainian people the intelligentsia was exterminated, and the Ukrainian language was persecuted. For the purpose of Russification, devastated by famine and repression Ukrainian villages were inhabited by tens and thousands of migrants from Russia and Belarus. The relevant secret documents cynically stated that the resettlement plan was completed by 104.7 percent.
Australia
Resolution #680 adopted by the Australian Senate on October 30, 2003
The Senate /…/ recalls that an estimated 7 million Ukrainians starved to death as a result of Stalinist policies in 1932–33 alone, and that millions more lost their lives in the purge that ensued for the remainder of the decade; notes: (a) that this constitutes one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history; /…/ submits that the Australian Government support a resolution to the General Assembly of the United Nations, which may be submitted by the Government of Ukraine, that the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–33 be recognised as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation and its people.
/…/ the House /…/ notes: (a) that this constitutes one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history; (b) that the Ukrainian Famine was one of the greatest losses of human life in one country in the 20th century.
Canada
Resolution of Senate of Canada. June 17, 2003.
The Senate calls upon the Government of Canada “to recognize the Ukrainian Famine/Genocide of 1932–1933 and to condemn any attempt to deny or distort this historical truth as being anything less than genocide”.
Bill of House of Commons. May 25, 2008.
…the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide of 1932-33 known as the Holodomor was deliberately planned and executed by the Soviet regime under Joseph Stalin to systematically destroy the Ukrainian people’s aspirations for a free and independent Ukraine, and subsequently caused the death of millions of Ukrainians in 1932 and 1933.
… Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: 1. This Act may be cited as the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day Act. 2. Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the fourth Saturday in November shall be known as “Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day”.
Bill M 225 – 2019. Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act. October 29, 2019.
/…/ the Holodomor refers to n act of genocide and a campaign of deliberate starvation against the Ukrainian people committed by the Soviet state in 1932 and 1933.
Hungary
Resolution of State Assembly of the Republic of Hungary, November 26, 2003
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933, on November 29, the National Assembly with deep concern commemorate the terrible tragedy of humanity and the victims of genocide in Ukraine.
Colombia
Resolution №079 of the House of Representatives of Colombia. December 10, 2007
/…/ 2. To condemn the Genocide, which became the cause of 7 million victims among children, women, men and elderly people.
Ecuador
National Congress of Ecuador. Resolution of Solidarity with Ukrainian nation. October 30, 2007.
/…/ 1. To express solidarity with the Ukrainian people in commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933, recognizing this tragedy as an act of genocide and appealing to the principles of justice, freedom, democracy and mutual respect that should be the basis of relations between countries, so that such phenomena do not happen again.
Georgia
Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia “On perpetuation of memory of those who died in Ukraine in 1932–1933 because of political repressions and famine”. 20 December 2005
During the totalitarian regime in Ukraine were planned and implemented famine and accompanying political repressions aiming to suppress protests of Ukrainian people against collectivization of Soviet agriculture, desrtruction of its cultural and ethnic identity. The genocide, organized and implemented in 1932–1933 by the Communists, took away more than 7 million of Ukrainian lives; every day thousands of people died from famine at a time when the Soviets carried tons of grain exports from the country towards the West.
Latvia
Seimas of the Republic of Latvia
/…/ admits that as a result of the planned and implemented policy of the Stalinist regime in Ukraine in 1932–1933, the confiscation of grain from the inhabitants caused a famine, which killed a fifth of Ukrainians;
states that the Holodomor was directed against the Ukrainian people, as residents were banned from leaving the regions where famine prevailed, and residents from other territories of the USSR were moved en masse to the starving villages and towns, and the Ukrainian language, culture and religion;
/…/ condemns the criminal actions of the Stalinist regime in 1932–1933;
recognizes the Holodomor as a deliberate genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Lithuania
/…/ recognizes that in 1932–1933 Stalin’s totalitarian communist regime carried out a conscious, carefully planned genocide of the Ukrainian people, and
expresses its condolences to the victims of the genocide of 193–1933 in Ukraine, as well as solidarity with Ukrainian people.
Mexico
The Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress expresses its solidarity with the people of Ukraine in connection with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932–1933, considering this tragic event an act of genocide, and calls for such phenomena to be prevented in the future.
Resolution No. DGPL-1 РЗА.-8196 of the Senate of the National Congress of Mexico. December 11, 2008
The Senate of the National Congress expresses its solidarity with the people of Ukraine in connection with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932–1933, considering this tragic event an act of genocide, and calls for such phenomena to be prevented in the future.
Paraguay
Article 1. To condemn the Holodomor, or famine, of 1932–1933 in Ukraine as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people and express solidarity with its victims.
Peru
Decision of the Congress of Peru № 2682-2006-2007-DDP-M/CR. June 21, 2007
Congress of the Republic stated:
1. To express solidarity with the Ukrainian people in honor of the 75th anniversary of the tragic Holodomor of 1932–1933, recognizing it as an act of genocide and appealing to the principles of justice and mutual respect between countries so that such phenomena do not happen again. /…/
Poland
/…/ The Senate of the Republic of Poland is in solidarity with the Ukrainian position to recognize the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as a crime of genocide and to name both the main perpetrators and ordinary perpetrators responsible for this crime. The deaths of millions of innocent people are the responsibility of the states that bought food from the Soviet Union at the time, as well as journalists, politicians and intellectuals who came to Ukraine at the time and not only did not see the general genocide, but also false assured of the groundlessness of this type of accusation.
The Sejm of the Republic of Poland, sharing the pain felt by the relatives of the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine, which took the lives of millions of Ukrainians in 1932–1933, condemns the totalitarian regime responsible for this genocide.
As a result of collectivization and forced implementation of impossible contribution of agricultural products, not less than 6 million people died in Ukraine. /…/ In 2006 the Senate of the Republic of Poland in a special resolution recognized the Ukrainian estimation of these events as an act of genocide.
Portugal
Resolution No. 233/XII of the Portuguese Republic Assembly (Parliament). March 3, 2017
The Assembly of the Republic /…/ decided:
1. To express solidarity with Ukrainian nation and recognize the genocide in Ukraine that took away the lives of about 7 million Ukrainian in 1932–1933.
USA
Senate Resolution. March 14, 2018.
“… the Senate … recognizes the findings of the Commission on the Ukraine Famine as submitted to Congress on April 22, 1988, including that ‘Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against the Ukrainians in 1932–1933′”.
Czech Republic
The decision of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament. April 6, 2022.
Decision of the Upper House of the Parliament (Senate) dated 14.12.2022
Ireland
The decision of the Upper House of the Parliament dated 11/24/2022
Moldova
Declaration of the Parliament of Moldova dated November 24, 2022
Germany
Resolution of the Bundestag dated November 30, 2022
“Famine and repression affected the whole of Ukraine, not only its grain-producing regions. From today’s point of view, the historical and political classification as genocide is obvious. The German Bundestag shares this classification,” the text of the resolution reads.
Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of Chile recognized the Holodomor as an act of genocide and a crime against human dignity.
Resolution dated 12/21/2022.
Bulgaria
The Parliament of Bulgaria – the National Assembly – recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as genocide and condemned its perpetrators.
Decision dated February 1, 2023.
Belgium
Resolution on recognizing the Holodomor as genocide dated 09.03.2023.
Iceland
Decision of the Althing (unicameral parliament of the country) dated 03/23/2023.
France
Resolution of the Senate dated March 28, 2023.
Slovenia
Declaration of the People’s Assembly dated 05/23/2023.
Great Britain
Resolution of the Lower House of Parliament dated 05/25/2023.
Luxembourg
Resolution of the Chamber of Deputies (unicameral parliament) dated June 13, 2023.
Slovakia
Resolution of the National Assembly of June 20, 2023.
Croatia
Declaration of the Sabor (Parliament) dated 06/28/2023.
Netherlands
Decision of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands (lower house) of July 7.
Italy
Resolution of the Italian Senate dated 07/26/2023.
Switzerland
Declaration of the National Council of Switzerland dated September 24, 2024.
Thus, as of December 12, 2022, 21 foreign countries and Ukraine recognized the Holodomor as an act of genocide against Ukrainians. In addition, their statements were made by:
Brazil
The decision of the Federal Senate of Brazil. April 26, 2022
Vatican
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. April 2, 2004
Attempts to eliminate entire national, ethnic, religious or linguistic groups are crimes against God and humanity itself, and those responsible for such crimes must answer for them before justice. The twentieth century bears the tragic mark of different genocides: from that of the Armenians to that of the Ukrainians, from that of the Cambodians to those perpetrated in Africa and in the Balkans.
Romania
Declaration on the condemnation of deliberate famine (Holodomor) in Ukraine, recognizing it as a crime against the Ukrainian people and humanity, dated November 23, 2022
Regional and municipal level
Apostoles (Argentina)
Declaration of the City Council. November 15, 2007
To express solidarity with the Law of Ukraine “On the Holodomor in Ukraine, 1932–1933” adopted on November 28, 2006, by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in which Holodomor was recognized as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Berisso (Argentina)
Resolution of the City Council. October 17, 2007
/…/ to recognize the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-1933 as an act of genocide of the Ukrainian nation.
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
The parliament of the federal metropolitan district of Buenos Aires condemns the genocide of the Ukrainian people, provoked by mass starvation during 1932–1933 in Ukraine, known as the Holodomor, and expresses solidarity with Law “On the Holodomor in Ukraine 1932–1933”, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on November 28, 2006.
Chaco Province (Argentina)
Resolution No. 1379 of the Chamber of Deputies. 3 October 2007
Official support to the Law of Ukraine “On the Holodomor in Ukraine 1932–1933”, adopted on November 28, 2006, by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine according to the submission of the President Mr. Victor Yushchenko.
Misiones Province (Argentina)
Declaration №D 30200/07 of the House of Representatives of misiones Province. September 27, 2007.
To express solidarity with the Law of Ukraine “On the Holodomor in Ukraine, 1932–1933”, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on November 28, 2006.
To support Ukraine’s proposal to the UN General Assembly about recognition the Holodomor as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.
New South Wales (Australia)
/…/ the House /…/ notes that 2007 marks the 75th anniversary of the Great Ukrainian Famine—Holodomor—of 1932–33, caused by the deliberate actions of Stalin’s communist Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; /…/ that this constitutes one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history.
Legislative of New South Wales. Motion by the Hon. Marie Ficarra. 17 October 2013
/…/ this House /…/ condemns this act of genocide aimed at destroying the national, cultural, religious and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people.
Legislative of New South Wales. Motion by the Hon. Marie Ficarra. 18 March 2014
/…/ this House this House: (a) notes that 2013 was the eightieth anniversary of the Holodomor, an enforced famine in Ukraine, caused by the deliberate actions of Stalin’s genocide policy.
Victoria (Austraslia)
Parliament of Victoria statement on 27 February 2008
That this house —
(1) notes that 2007 marked the 75th anniversary of the Great Ukrainian Famine-Holodomor of 1932– 33 caused by the deliberate actions of the Stalin communist regime of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;
/…/ notes that this constituted one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history, that the Ukraine famine was one of the greatest losses of human life in one country in the 20th century.
Statement in Parliament of Victoria on 24 November 2011
/…/ May our memory of the victims of the genocide of the Ukrainian nation be eternal.
Basque country (Spain)
The non-legislative proposal of the Parliament. October 2003.
State of Parana (Brazil)
Legislative Assembly Decree. June 5, 2007.
Catalonia (Spain)
Institutional Declaration. June 13, 2007.
Parliament of Catalonia condemns genocide in Ukraine in 1932–1933 by the totalitarian regime of Stalin, known as the Holodomor.
Resolution of the Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia. December 9, 2008.
Considering the sensitivity of Spain to the restoration of historical memory, which for many years was a victim of the Franco dictatorship and repression, we express our solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The Federation decided to condemn the genocide in Ukraine of 1932–1933 organized by the totalitarian regime of Stalin, known as the Holodomor, which killed more than 10 million people.
Esplugues de Llobregat (Spain)
Resolution of the City Council. July 18, 2007.
To condemn the genocide in Ukraine of 1932–1933 organized by the totalitarian regime of Stalin, known as the Holodomor, … which caused the deaths of more than 10 million people.
Rome (Italy)
Municipal resolution. November 19, 2007.
The municipality of Rome … obliges the Mayor and the heads of the departments of the Rome’s City Council: to promote the multiculturalism of the city of Rome by spreading information and preserving the memory of numerous human tragedies such as the Holodomor from which the various nations have suffered, as we have in Rome evidence from immigrants. It is, therefore, important to include in the program … initiatives to commemorate the Holodomor and other genocides experienced by other immigrant communities living in Rome.
Sicily (Italy)
Resolution of the Regional Assembly. November 21, 2007.
The 20th century was a theatre of genocides, mass deportations, extermination on ethnic, social, national, religious grounds, etc .; among these events, we should remember about the Holodomor as one of the most brutal crime; … The Regional Assembly … obliges the President of the Region to appeal to the competent authorities to recognize the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people;
Province of Manitoba (Canada)
Law of the Legislative Assembly. November 22, 2007.
To establish the fourth Saturday of November as the annual Day of Remembrance of Ukrainian Famine and Genocide.
Balearic Islands (Spain)
The non-legislative proposal of the Parliament. December 11, 2007.
State of Victoria (Australia)
Parliament Resolution. February 27, 2008.
Province of Saskatchewan (Canada)
Law of the Legislative Assembly. May 7, 2008.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
The Resolution of the Municipal Council. June 3, 2008.
Maringa (Brazil)
The Resolution of the Municipal Council. August 24, 2017.
Curitiba (Brazil)
The Resolution of the Municipal Council. June 11, 2008.
Grandola (Portugal)
Resolution of the Municipal Assembly. June 14, 2008.
Prudentopolis (Brazil)
The resolution of the Municipal Council. June 16, 2008.
Roncador (Brazil)
The resolution of the City Council. December 17, 2021
Kihley (United Kingdom)
The resolution of the City Council. September 4, 2008.
Alberta (Canada)
Law of the Legislative Assembly. October 30, 2008.
To set the Day of Remembrance of the Famine and the Holodomor (1932–1933) in Ukraine on the fourth Saturday of November of each year.
Tarragona (Spain)
Resolution of the City Council. December 15, 2008.
To condemn the genocide of 1932–1933 in Ukraine organized by the totalitarian regime of Stalin, known as the Holodomor, which caused the death of more than 10 million people.
Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
The statement issued by the City Council. December 18, 2008.
In order to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides, the Council is invited to draw attention to the events of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932–1933 (known as the Holodomor). … There are different estimates of the number of people killed as a result of this famine, but the most constrained researches indicate that the number of victims is millions. Moreover, there is a reasoned opinion that the events of the Holodomor occurred as a result of deliberate policy of the regime of Stalin.
For reference: The draft of resolution contained the words “Holodomor can be considered as an act of genocide”.
Abrantes (Portugal)
Resolution of the Municipal Assembly. February 22, 2009.
… The genocide of 1932–1933 in Ukraine, which caused the deaths of millions of Ukrainians, was aimed at destroying entire social groups that played a major role in the culture and the existence of the Ukrainian nation.
Braga (Portugal)
The resolution of the municipality. July 14, 2018.
Ontario (Canada)
Law of the Legislative Assembly. April 9, 2009.
… The Holodomor is the name given to genocide by famine that lasted from 1932 to 1933 in Ukraine. Approximately, 10 million Ukrainians were the victims of an artificial famine during the Stalinist regime, when 25,000 people died per day at the height of the famine.
Quebec (Canada)
The deputies of the National Assembly of Quebec on June 3, 2010, unanimously adopted a bill to recognize the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as a genocide of the Ukrainian people and proclaimed the Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Holodomor.
British Columbia (Canada)
Law of the Legislative Assembly. October 29, 2019.
The Holodomor refers to an act of genocide and a campaign of deliberate starvation against the Ukrainian people committed by the Soviet state in 1932 and 1933…
Province of Nova Scotia (Canada)
Bill № 94 Legislature of the province from 08.04.2022
“…And whereas the term Holodomor emphasizes the Ukrainian famine’s intentional aspects including the Soviet regime’s rejection of outside aid, confiscation of household food and restriction of population movement;(…) to join other provinces in recognizing the Ukrainian famine as a genocide.”
Valencian Community (Spain)
Decree of the Cortes Valencia “On raising the awareness of and condemning the great crimes of the twentieth century, such as the Holodomor of 1932–1933″ (December 4, 2019).
“…the knowledge and condemnation of the Holodomor — along with the crimes of the twentieth century, dictatorships, forms of repression and destruction of human lives so that the memory of these events could serve as a reminder for present and future generations of Valencians.”
USA
Washington, D. C.
Resolution of House of Representatives. November 16, 2005.
The Resolution allocated to the Government of Ukraine a plot of land in Washington, D.C. for erecting a monument to the victims of the Holodomor, which was supported by the U.S. Senate on September 29, 2006, and signed by the U.S. President on October 12, 2006.
California
Resolution of the State Assembly. August 18, 2016.
The State Assembly adopted a resolution in memory of the millions of victims of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine. In addition, the Holodomor Victims Remembrance Day was declared by the California State Assembly.
Resolution of the State Assembly. June 12, 2018.
“This measure would remember and honor the millions of victims of the man-made Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932–1933, known as “Holodomor,” and their descendants who are living throughout California. The measure would also designate November 24, 2018, as Holodomor Remembrance Day”.
Oregon
State Senate Resolution. March 2, 2017.
A resolution established the Holodomor Victims Remembrance Day on November 25, 2017, and the condemned the artificial famine in Ukraine in 1932–1933.
Washington
State Senate Resolution No. 8,663. May 22, 2017.
The Resolution on commemorating the Holodomor victims of 1932–1933 in Ukraine recognized the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian nation.
Pennsylvania
State Senate Resolution No. 244. November 15, 2017.
November was declared as the month of Holodomor victims. In the resolution, the Senate recognizes that “85 years ago, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his totalitarian regime committed an act of genocide by organizing an artificial famine through the confiscation of land, grain, and cattle, which killed 10 million innocent people”.
Wisconsin
Governor of the State Proclamation. November 22, 2017.
The document recognized of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide of Ukrainian people.
Michigan
House of Representatives Resolution No. 201. November 2017.
The document recognized the Holodomor as genocide and declared November 25, 2017, as Holodomor Memorial Day in the state of Michigan.
Massachusetts
Governor of the State Proclamation. March, 2018.
The Governor signed proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Missouri
Proclamation of the Governor. April 3, 201.
The Governor of the State has signed proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
New York
May, 2018.
The Senate and the Assembly of the State of have recognized the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Kansas
May 7, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Illinois
May 19, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Ohio
June 27, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Utah
October 10, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the Declaration on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Minnesota
October 12, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Virginia
November 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
North Carolina
November 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Connecticut
November, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed the proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide.
Alabama
November 19, 2018.
The Governor of the State signed proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide against Ukrainian people.
Rhode Island
November 26, 2017.
The Governor of the State signed proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide against Ukrainian people.
Louisiana
January 23, 2019.
The Governor of the State of has signed proclamation on the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932–1933 as genocide of Ukrainian people.
Texas
May 26, 2021.
House of Representatives Resolution No. 253.
The document recognized the Holodomor as genocide and declared November, 2021, as Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Month in the state of Texas.
Eastern Orthodox Church
Ecumenical Patriarch address to Ukrainian Nation on 75th anniversary of Holodomor. 20 November 2008
Your calling is to be good Christians within the ancient Ukrainian Church tradition and citizens of Ukraine, as well as to witness unanimously to the tragedies of the Ukrainian nation in the 20th century, especially the Great Holodomor of 1932–1933, to the world. It is your duty to the memory of your great grandparents, grandparents and parents, for there was no tragedy in human history when more representatives of a single nation were destroyed in one peaceful year than during the several years of a war. And no matter what anyone says or if they try to belittle the evil, this is the clear sign of genocide.
Commemoration of the Holodomor victims
International level
The United Nations
Joint statement by the Delegations of the United Nations. 7 November 2003
In the former Soviet Union millions of men, women and children fell victims to the cruel actions and policies of the totalitarian regime. The Great Famine of 1932–1933 in Ukraine (Holodomor), which took from 7 million to 10 million innocent lives and became a national tragedy for the Ukrainian people. In this regard we note activities in observance of the seventieth anniversary of this Famine, in particular organized by the Government of Ukraine.
The delegations of Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Saint Lucia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America do solemnly declare, /…/
1. Commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine, a man-made famine that took the lives of millions of Ukrainians, including persons of other nationalities living in Ukraine at that time;
2. Pay tribute to the memory of millions of Russians, Kazakhs and persons of other nationalities who died of starvation in the Volga region, Northern Caucasus, Kazakhstan and in other parts of the former Soviet Union;
3. Welcome efforts of Governments to open their archives on the events of 1932–1933 to reveal the full truth of this tragedy, and to raise public awareness both at national and international levels so that the causes and consequences are comprehended;
4. Emphasize that the memories of past horrors and atrocities should reinforce the efforts of the international community to ensure unconditional observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world;
5. Urge Member States to promote awareness about the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine as a tragic page in global history.
The delegations of Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, /…/ commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine, a man-made famine that took the lives of millions of Ukrainians, including persons of other nationalities living in Ukraine at that time.
UNESCO
/…/ 1. Expresses sympathy to the victims of the Great Famine (Holodomor) of 1932–1933 in Ukraine and the victims in Russia, Kazakhstan and in other parts of the former Soviet Union, and honours the memory of those who perished as a result of it;
2. Welcomes the initiative of Ukraine to organize commemorations on the occasion of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Great Famine (Holodomor) of 1932-1933 in Ukraine, and invites Member States to consider taking part in those and similar commemorative events;
3. Calls upon Member States to consider promoting awareness of the Great Famine (Holodomor) remembrance by means of incorporating this knowledge into educational and research programmes to inculcate forthcoming generations with the lessons of this tragic page in history.
For reference: The resolution was submitted by Ukraine in co-authorship with 45 countries: Azerbaijan, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Georgia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Canada, Kenya, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast , Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mauritius, Madagascar, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Swaziland, Senegal, USA, Suriname, Tajikistan, Uruguay, the Philippines, France and the Czech Republic. The resolution was adopted unanimously by 193 countries of the UNESCO General Conference.
PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)
/…/
OSCE
Statement by the Delegation of the Russian Federation: Russia’s position on the Holodomor issue remains unchanged. Millions of citizens of many different nationalities have fallen victim to truly tragic events of 1932-1933 and, accordingly, it would be unfair to talk about the destruction of only ethnically Ukrainian citizens. The famine in the USSR in the 1930s was a consequence of the Soviet policy, the collectivization of agriculture, and the “dekulakization” of the peasantry that was carried out during that period.
Statement by the Delegation of Turkey: We, along with the authorities and the people of Ukraine, are paying homage to the humanitarian catastrophe, which is also a tragic episode in their history. Given the humanitarian impact of this tragedy, our state [as the member of OSCE] cannot distance itself from the statement made by Ukraine. … It seems that the Ukrainian authorities are trying to add the humanitarian importance of this sad event to the desire for political recognition. … When it comes to dealing with such an important issue in the political context, the highest and unchanging principle of Turkey’s policy is that the assessment of historical events should remain the exclusive competence of historians.
OSCE PA
Resolution on the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine
/…/
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
7. Pays tribute to the innocent lives of millions of Ukrainians who perished during the Holodomor of 1932 and 1933 as a result of the mass starvation brought about by the cruel deliberate actions and policies of the totalitarian Stalinist regime;
8. Welcomes the recognition of the Holodomor in the United Nations, by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization and by the national parliaments of a number of the OSCE participating States
European Parliament
The European Parliament /…/ recognises the Holodomor (the artificial famine of 1932–1933 in Ukraine) as an appalling crime against the Ukrainian people, and against humanity; strongly condemns these acts, directed against the Ukrainian peasantry, and marked by mass annihilation and violations of human rights and freedoms; /…/ calls on the countries which emerged following the break-up of the Soviet Union to open up their archives on the Holodomor in Ukraine of 1932–1933 to comprehensive scrutiny so that all the causes and consequences can be revealed and fully investigated.
Eastern Orthodox Church
It is with a heavy heart that we call to recollection one of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century, namely, the tragic events in Ukraine during the years 19321933. Today, our Ecumenical Patriarchate joins Ukrainians across the globe in prayerful commemoration on the 84th anniversary of the Holodomor. Surrounded by the members of our local Ukrainian Orthodox Community and representatives of various nations serving in our City, we will preside over the celebration of the Divine Liturgy as well as personally offer a memorial service for the millions of people who inhumanely lost their lives during the orchestrated man-imposed famine.
On this day, when we honor and commemorate the memory of the righteous Catherine, we also remember and honor the Holodomor, a crime that threatened the Ukrainian people with organized starvation during the first half of the twentieth century. Millions of innocent people died. Particularly targeted were ordinary workers, peasants, children, clergy and laity who lived and worked peacefully for the benefit of their country. Millions of people fell into a mad flames, unable to escape. People were forced to stay in their cities and villages, stayed there to die a horrible death. The Holodomor provoked many horrific consequences—murders, robberies for a piece of bread and many other horrible acts, which in other ordinary conditions people never dare to do. The introduced hunger strike rejected the people of their humanity.
State level
Andorra
Decision on the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932–1933. 26 November 2009
/…/ The General Council expresses its solidarity with the Ukrainian people and honors the memory of the millions of Ukrainians who died during the Holodomor of 1932–1933.
Argentina
Declaration of the Senate №DR 588/03. September 23, 2003.
The Holodomor … was organized in Ukraine by the totalitarian Soviet regime in 1932–1933.
Resolution of the Senate. December 7, 2007.
To honor the memory of millions of children, women and men who lost their lives as a result of deliberate deprivation of food, which caused a massive hunger in Ukraine in 1932–1933.
Australia
Resolution of the Senate of the Australian Federal Parliament on November 26, 2012
The Senate: (a) urges the Australian people to remember those who perished and suffered as a result of the Ukrainian Famine 1932–33 (Holodomor), as a reminder that we should always respect the freedoms bestowed upon us; and (b) joins with the Ukrainian World Congress and the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations in calling on Australians to acknowledge the International Day of Remembrance on the last Saturday of November, gazette by the Ukrainian Government in respect of those who suffered and perished in the great famine of 1932–33.
/…/ the Senate:
(a) notes that commemorations are underway for the eighty-fifth anniversary of Holodomor, to mark an enforced famine in Ukraine caused by the deliberate actions of Stalin’s Communist Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR);
(b) recalls that it is estimated that up to seven million Ukrainians starved to death, as a result of Stalin’s policies in 1932 to 1933 alone;
(c) condemns these acts aimed at destroying the national, cultural, religious and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people.
House of Representatives Proof Private Members’ Business. 26 February 2018
That this House:
(1) notes that commemorations are underway for the eighty-fifth anniversary of Holodomor, to mark an enforced famine in Ukraine caused by the deliberate actions of Joseph Stalin’s Communist Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;
(2) recalls that it is estimated that up to seven million Ukrainians starved to death as a result of Stalin’s policies in 1932 and 1933 alone;
(3) condemns these acts aimed at destroying the national, cultural, religious and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people;
(4) condemns all similar acts during the twentieth century as the ultimate manifestations of racial, ethnic or religious hatred and violence;
Spain
The proposition of the non-legislative nature of the Congress. May 30, 2007.
The Congress … recalls the totalitarian rudeness of the Stalinist regime, which despised human rights and led to millions of victims.
For reference: The Statement on the recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people was excluded from the draft proposal on the initiative of the faction of the ruling Spanish Socialist Labor Party.
Chile
Declaration of the Chamber of Deputies. November 13, 2007.
In 2007, the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine, the disaster that caused the deaths of millions of innocent men, women and children, is honored.
Czech Republic
The Chamber of deputies of Czech Republic. November 30, 2007.
…expresses deep sympathy to relatives of millions of people who became victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine of 1932–1993, which was specially planned by the Stalin regime.
Slovak Republic
National Counsel (Parliament) of Slovak Republic. December 12, 2007.
Declaration recognizing the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine as an act of annihilation of the mankind by the Stalin totalitarian regime.
Russian Federation
Statement of the State Duma. April 2, 2008.
The regions of the USSR (the Volga region, the Central Black Earth Region, the North Caucasus, the Urals, the Crimea, part of Western Siberia), Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Belarus have suffered from the result of the famine caused by forced collectivization. About 7 million people were killed by hunger and illnesses associated with malnutrition in 1932–1933.
This tragedy does not have and cannot have internationally established signs of genocide and should not be the subject of contemporary political speculation.
Deputies of the State Duma, honoring the victims of the 1930s famine on the territory of the USSR, strongly condemn the regime that has neglected the lives of people for the achievement of economic and political goals, and proclaim the inadmissibility of the revival in the formerly included in the Soviet Union, totalitarian regimes that neglected the rights and lives of their citizens.
Mexico
Resolution of the Senate of the National Congress. November 11, 2008.
The Senate … shows solidarity with the people of Ukraine on the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as an extraordinary event that left a deep impression in Ukrainian society, and calls for such tragic phenomena never to be found on the pages of history humanity.
Regional and municipal level
Coronel du Graty (Argentina)
Resolution of the City Council. November 14, 2007.
The Ukrainian community commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Great Famine of 1932–1933 in Ukraine, when as a result not of a natural disaster, but of a purposeful the policy of the Soviet communist regime of Joseph Stalin aimed at destruction of Ukrainian people, more than seven million Ukrainian men, women and children were killed.
Misiones Province (Argentina)
Declaration №D 30201/07 of House of Representatives of Misiones Province. 27 September 2007.
House of Representatives stated /…/ to honor the memory of millions of men, women and children who lost life as a result of intentional deprivation of food, which caused a mass famine in Ukraine in 1932–1933.
The Pope John Paul II
The message to Cardinal Lubomyr Husar from the Pope John Paul II dated. November 23, 2003.
It was an inhuman scheme put into effect in cold blood by those in power at the time… Today the experience of the tragedy must guide the feelings and actions of the Ukrainian people towards prospects of concord and cooperation. … I hope that the Ukrainian people will be able to look back at the events of history with reconciled hearts.
Address by Pope John Paul II to Ukrainians. November 23, 2003.
These are the sentiments that the 70th anniversary of the consequences of the Holodomor tragedy awakens in my heart: millions of people suffered an atrocious death due to the nefarious success of an ideology that caused suffering and bereavement in many parts of the world throughout the 20th century. It is for this reason, Venerable Brothers, that I want to be present in spirit at the celebrations to commemorate the countless victims of the great famine instigated in Ukraine by the Communist regime. It was an inhuman scheme put into effect in cold blood by those in power at the time.