LINZ, Austria - Remembrance of Nazi atrocities is an important tool for fighting anti-Semitism, discrimination, extremism and violence in today's world, the Austrian head of a group dedicated to the Holocaust said Tuesday.

Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff, chairman of the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, said keeping alive the memory of what happened was also key to preventing a similar tragedy in years to come.

"Remembrance is extremely important in order to learn about what led to the catastrophe of the Holocaust and where can we find the same attitudes and the same developments today and in the future," Trauttmansdorff said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"It's in the interest of all to make better use of the tool of remembrance for instance to fight against anti-Semitism, to work against discrimination, violation of human rights ... also racism, extremism and violence," he said.

Trauttmansdorff, legal counsel at the Austrian Foreign Ministry, spoke on the sidelines of the group's twice-annual plenary session.

Initiated in 1998 by a Swedish prime minister, the aim of the task force is, among other things, to coordinate national and international efforts to encourage political and social leaders to support Holocaust education, remembrance and research.

It also promotes teaching about the Holocaust at all education levels and encourages the opening of Holocaust-related archives.

The task force currently consists of 25 member countries, including Austria, Germany, Israel and the United States. The United Nations, Council of Europe and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are permanent observers. It is also affiliated with a slew of non-governmental organizations.

Trauttmansdorff, in speaking more generally about the task force, said Austria, due to its dark past, had a responsibility in ensuring the Holocaust is not forgotten.

"I think Austria is a key country here because we have not only been occupied by the German troops but Austrians have played an important role also as perpetrators during the Second World War," he said.

"We feel that this task force is a basis for the work that still has to be done in Austria."

A particular challenge both in Austria and elsewhere was making sure young people, many of whom no longer have relatives who were alive during Nazi times, fully grasp what happened, Trauttmansdorff said.

Austria assumed the task force's rotating chairmanship on March 12 of this year, the 70th anniversary of Hitler's annexation of the country.

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On the Net:

ITF: http://www.holocausttaskforce.org