CONCLUSIONS OF THE PUBLIC HEARING IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ORGANISED BY THE CZECH PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

"European Conscience and Crimes of Totalitarian Communism: 20 Years After"

18 March 2009, UOK

We, participants of the Public Hearing in the European Parliament "European Conscience and Crimes of Totalitarian Communism: 20 Years After", representatives of EU Institutions, EU Member States and non-governmental organizations dealing with totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, are convinced that the totalitarian past of many European countries forms an integral part of our common history, whole commemorating this historical experience is an important educational tool for the promotion of human dignity, human rights, fundamental freedoms and other values that Europe is based on.

In order to achieve further progress in this field we call for:

1. The Establishment of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience, which will:

- provide support for networking and cooperation of national research institutes specialising in the subject of totalitarian history with special emphasis on National socialism and totalitarian communism, support cooperation among archives containing documentation on totalitarian regimes and their human rights violations, as well as conduct research and develop scientific and educational projects regarding totalitarian regimes on European territory;

- increase public awareness about European history and crimes committed by totalitarian regimes and encourage a broad, EU-wide discussion about the causes and consequences of totalitarian regimes, as well as about common European values, with the aim of promoting human dignity, human rights and to help prevent intolerance, extremism and the recurrence of totalitarian rule in the future;

-work toward creating a pan-European documentation/memorial centre for victims of all totalitarian regimes, with the aim of commemorating the victims and raising awareness of the crimes committed by those regimes;

- support initiatives at European level with a view to giving indiscriminate treatment to all victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as to their victims;

- strive to become a partner with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission and the European Parliament in seeking ways toward an honest and open appraisal of our common totalitarian legacy of the 20th century, in order to deepen the integration of all European citizens now and in the future and so as to avoid any horrors of totalitarianism now and in the future.

Furthermore, we call for:

2. the strengthening of the existing financial instruments in this field (e.g. the Action 4 - Active European Remembrance Day of the 'Europe for Citizens' programme which aims to commemorate victims of Nazism and Stalinism);

3. -the proclamation of a Remembrance day for victims of Nazism and totalitarian communism on August 23, the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.