Назад Training for public officials on combating hate speech in Armenia

Training for public officials on combating hate speech in Armenia

On 24 and 25 May 2021, the regional project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Eastern Partnership” organised two training sessions offline, for 30 civil servants working in the relevant ministries and institutions, and in the Ministry of Justice, on combating hate speech. The two sessions were organised with the co-operation of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia.

The two sessions included activities on international standards and definitions on hate speech, analysis of constituent elements of hate speech and clarification of how to assess a case, the need to fight hate speech and the obligations of public officials in relation to not spreading hate speech, and the national legislation and practice of combating hate speech.

These sessions are part of a series of activities of the project aiming to improve the national responses to hate speech, which was identified by national beneficiaries as a central challenge. Together with these trainings, specific trainings for prosecutors and judges are being implemented, as well as educational and awareness raising resources on hate speech are being produced.

The activities were organised in the framework of the regional project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Eastern Partnership”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II Programme.

Armenia 24-25 May 2021
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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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