Uruguay Says It Plans to Become Full Member of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini announced on Monday his country’s intention to become a permanent member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

This would make it the second Latin American full IHRA nation, alongside Argentina.

Uruguay has held IHRA observer status since 2013 and it adopted the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism in 2020.

Minister Paganini’s declaration came at a meeting with representatives of the Central Israelite Committee of Uruguay (CCIU).

There are currently 35 full IHRA members worldwide — including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States — and nine observers — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cyprus, Moldova, Monaco, New Zealand, Türkiye, and Uruguay.

In total, 45 countries — 33 IHRA member states, five IHRA observer states, and seven nations unaffiliated with IHRA — have adopted the definition, according to the 2023 IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism Adoptions and Endorsements Report published by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University.

Promoting adoptions of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is a top priority for CAM and Uruguay is home to the headquarters of CAM en Español.

Last month, CAM Director of Hispanic Outreach Shay Salamon met at the Uruguayan Parliament in Montevideo with Senator Jorge Gandini, a leading advocate for Uruguay’s IHRA activities. Also participating in the sit-down was Spanish journalist and former politician Pilar Rahola, who has since officially joined CAM as head of the new Advisory Board for Latin America.

CAM’s outreach in Latin America began nearly three years ago, and since then it has worked diligently to build meaningful partnerships and friendships with influential leaders, lawmakers, community organizations, and civil society activists from a diverse assortment of religious, political and cultural backgrounds in the region to combat antisemitism together.

During this time, CAM en Español has emerged as a key player in the battle against Jew-hatred in Latin America, with a growing coalition engaged in impactful activities in countries including Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, and Guatemala, among others.

CAM en Español has organized regional summits hosted by Uruguay in 2023, Panama in 2022, and Guatemala in 2021.