Willoughby City Council, in Sydney’s North Shore, has passed a motion recognising the Armenian Genocide, reports Armenpress referring to the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia).

On the 11th of May, Willoughby City Council ­ the municipality that is home to many thousands of Sydney­Armenians, as well as to Armenian churches and community centres ­ considered the motion, which reads: “Willoughby City Council recognises the genocide of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrians peoples by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922 and condemns these and all other acts of genocide and crimes against humanity as the ultimate act of intolerance”.

The motion was introduced in what is the Armenian Genocide’s Centenary year by long­standing friend of the Armenian­Australian community, Councillor John Hooper, and was seconded by Councillor Judith Rutherford. It passed unanimously, making Willoughby City Council the second Australian local government to recognise the Armenian Genocide after Ryde City Council.

ANC Australia’s executive director, Vache Kahramanian, addressed the Council meeting to speak in favour of the motion and on the importance of Armenian genocide recognition as a mechanism to prevent future instances of genocide being perpetrated.