The 'Strengthening Remembrance and Education on the Holocaust in the former Yugoslavia' project supports the creation of a travelling exhibition and an accompanying educational programme, derived from the joint permanent exhibition in Block 17 of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Developed jointly by the six successor states of the former Yugoslavia - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia - the exhibition commemorates the victims from the region who perished in Auschwitz.

At the intersection of culture and education, the initiative places strong emphasis on Holocaust education as a powerful means of promoting reconciliation, intercultural dialogue, and social cohesion. It seeks to engage youth, educators, and communities in reflecting on the region's shared history, while strengthening good neighbourly relations and supporting the European perspective of the participating countries. Since 2011, UNESCO has supported the six states in re-establishing the permanent exhibition, ensuring coherence with educational goals and the preservation of this World Heritage site.

Reaffirmed through an Agreement signed at UNESCO Headquarters in January 2024, with UNESCO as the depositary, the project aims to extend the reach of the Auschwitz exhibition through a travelling format. By bringing remembrance and education together, it fosters mutual understanding, respect for diversity, and a culture of peace across South-Eastern Europe.

The initiative will deliver a lasting impact by advancing Holocaust education and remembrance across the region. Its implementation is expected to:

• Enhance regional cooperation in Holocaust education and remembrance by strengthening partnerships across countries and institutions to foster a shared understanding and coordinated approach to Holocaust education.
• Promote dialogue and peacebuilding through culture and education by utilising travelling exhibitions and educational programmes to encourage mutual understanding, reconciliation, and constructive dialogue.
• Strengthen capacities of educators and policymakers by providing targeted training and resources to teachers, curriculum developers, and policymakers to improve the quality and effectiveness of Holocaust education.
• Increase public awareness of the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance by raising awareness among the public about the history of the Holocaust and its lessons for addressing intolerance, discrimination, and human rights today.
• Engage youth in Holocaust education by actively involving young people in learning initiatives to foster critical thinking, empathy, and a commitment to preventing future atrocities.

•Travelling exhibitions delivered – 120 exhibitions (20 per country) organised in museums, libraries, and cultural centres, reaching at least 250,000 visitors and fostering public engagement with the Holocaust and its regional dimensions.
• Educational resources developed and localised – Two toolkits, targeting policymakers and educators respectively, are produced and adapted into local languages to support integration of Holocaust education in formal and informal learning settings.
• Capacities of educators and policymakers strengthened – 30 policymakers and at least 300 teachers/teacher-trainers/educators are trained to use the educational toolkits, enhancing teaching and learning about the Holocaust and related human rights themes.
• Youth engagement achieved – At least 30,000 students and young people to acquire knowledge through the travelling exhibition and education programme, fostering critical reflection and dialogue.
• Civil society and public engagement strengthened – At least six cross-border projects supported through small grants, complemented by three high-level events and social media outreach reaching 2 million people, fostering local ownership, Holocaust remembrance, and tolerance.