Înapoi Reinforcing the capacities of Ukrainian judges on dealing with hate speech

Reinforcing the capacities of Ukrainian judges on dealing with hate speech

In co-operation with the National School of Judges Ukraine and the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme of the Council of Europe, a pilot tutored course on “Combating hate speech”, adapted to the Ukrainian context and legislative framework, has been launched today in the framework of the European Union - Council of Europe joint project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Eastern Partnership countries”.

This pilot training course is implemented in order to support Ukrainian judges to better grasp the concept and manifestations of hate speech, the European acquis on the topic, and to become readier to tackle such cases as part of their work in Ukraine.

At the end of the tutored course, the participants will be able to demonstrate knowledge on:

  • the concept, different and links between hate speech and freedom of expression
  • the impact of hate speech on victims and communities
  • the effective responses to hate speech
  • the role of judges in cases of hate speech and how to assess the problem.

The course ending in December 2021 includes the national adaptation of the HELP course “Combating hate speech” and online live sessions with tutors and experts to discuss cases.

This activity is 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 and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II.

Ukraine 17 November 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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