Назад Launch of the report “Systemic mapping of national responses to hate speech in Ukraine”

Launch of the report “Systemic mapping of national responses to hate speech in Ukraine”

What is the impact of hate speech on the society? What challenges does it pose and how can they be effectively addressed? What means of redress, tools and actions are available to victims in Ukraine? What is the role played by different state and civil society actors in addressing hate speech? These are among the key questions addressed by the Report on the systemic mapping of national responses to hate speech in Ukraine. 

The report prepared under the joint European Union-Council of Europe project "Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries," seeks to identify and prioritise elements for future action to combat hate speech in Ukraine and offers targeted recommendations to the authorities, civil society, media and other actors on building an effective strategy to do so. Various stakeholders, including representatives of Parliamentary Committees, Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, ministries, judiciary, civil society, media have contributed to the preparation of the report.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its General Policy Recommendation No. 15 on Combatting Hate Speech focuses on the phenomenon of hate speech and the damaging consequences of its use for individuals, certain groups of persons, and society as a whole. The Recommendation thus sets out measures for combating hate speech among which raising public awareness including through use of counter speech, providing support to those targeted by hate speech, imposing administrative and civil liability, taking regulatory actions and imposing criminal sanctions in particular circumstances. These measures must be well-founded, proportionate, non-discriminatory, and not be misused to curb freedom of expression or assembly or suppress criticism of official policies, and religious beliefs.

The report has been prepared under the project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries,” funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022.

 Draft report “Systemic mapping of national responses to hate speech in Ukraine” available in English and Ukrainian

 System map of the mechanisms of hate speech in Ukraine

Ukraine 17 January 2022
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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