Prince Edward attended the commemoration in Belfast

Nobel prize winner Seamus Heaney read a poem by Bertolt Brecht before the audience was asked to participate in a solemn moment of reflection in the Waterfront Hall.

Northern Ireland hosted the fourth UK Holocaust Memorial Day.

In recognition that 2004 marks the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, the theme focused on 'From the Holocaust to Rwanda: lessons learned, lessons still to learn'.

During the 60 minute memorial, Holocaust survivor Gena Turgel read a short extract from her book, I Light a Candle.

The commemoration reflected on the violence at the time of the Holocaust, persecution of Jews and other groups and the creation of ghettoes.

We need to heed the lessons of the Holocaust and learn for the future Archbishop Sean Brady

Poetry and music was performed by the choirs of Our Lady and St Patrick's College Knock and Grosvenor Grammar School and the Belfast Synagogue Choir and West Ocean Quartet.

Among those who attended the commemoration was Prince Edward.

Other speakers at the commemoration were Martin Bell, the former MP and BBC correspondent, and Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Archbishop of Armagh Sean Brady said: "We need to heed the lessons of the Holocaust and learn for the future.

"We know that these lessons have not been learnt, as the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda shows. There, one million people were murdered within the space of 100 days."

A Book of Commitment will be available in each local council office of Northern Ireland.

The Belfast Book of Commitment will be available for signing at Belfast City Hall until Friday from 0900-1700 GMT.

Poet Seamus Heaney to read poem by Brecht

In 2000, the government decided that 27 January each year should be designated 'UK Holocaust Memorial Day' "to ensure that the horrendous crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust and other acts of genocide were never forgotten".

The date was selected as this was the anniversary of the liberation in 1945 of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people have attended a rally to protest against the recent spate of racist attacks in Belfast.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Martin Morgan, addressed the rally which was held at lunchtime on Tuesday at Belfast City Hall.

He urged people to work together to tackle the issue of racism.