On 25–27 May 2026, the annual assembly of members of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience took place in Katowice, Republic of Poland. The Secretariat of the International Commission is one of the founding members of this international organization.
Prior to the assembly, the international conference “FROM HEROES TO REMEMBRANCE: HOW DO WE BUILD MEMORY TODAY?” was held, during which current issues of memory policy were discussed.
During the assembly of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience, the organization’s priority areas of activity were discussed, with the construction of a memorial to the victims of totalitarianism in Brussels being identified as the most important priority. The 2025 activity report was also approved, and new members were admitted to the organization.
Actively participating in the conference and assembly discussions, R. Račinskas shared Lithuania’s, and specifically the Commission’s, experience regarding the issues under discussion. Within the framework of the conference and assembly, bilateral and multilateral meetings were held with representatives of memory institutions from various countries to discuss opportunities for cooperation.
The assembly and conference took place in a particularly significant location — the Silesian Center for Freedom and Solidarity, established at the historic “Wujek” coal mine, where in 1981 the security forces of the Polish communist regime killed nine and injured dozens of striking miners. Participants of the assembly honored the memory of the victims by laying flowers and lighting candles at the memorial site.
