Назад Marking the international day to counter hate speech with equality body representatives

Marking the international day to counter hate speech with equality body representatives

The International Day for Countering Hate Speech (18 June) is an opportunity to raise awareness of the risks posed by hate speech to human rights, democracy and the  rule of law and take collective action to implement the principles of the Council of Europe Recommendation on Combating Hate Speech. With this in mind, a regional seminar was organised with the aim to address ways of dealing with individual redress of cases of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes, and facilitating access to justice for victims. It was organised as part of the co-operation the Council of Europe has established with the European Union, notably through the Horizontal Facility and Partnership for Good Governance programmes.

This regional seminar, provided to participants the opportunity to exchange with professionals working on a daily basis to address hate speech, the commitment to ensure that people can live free from discrimination, and to countering hate speech and hate crime which jeopardise human dignity and equality. In this context the European Union and the Council of Europe will continue assisting their work in this area, thanks to the rich standards and monitoring recommendations available to its member states, and the close partnership with the European Union in this endeavour.

Equality bodies, have diverse mandates and are in the forefront to address individual cases of discrimination and hate speech in the local context. However, they share similar challenges in addressing such phenomena in the society, and when offering redress. During the discussions held in this regional seminar, participants shared the common commitment to improve the countering of hate speech and exchanged good practices, while they identified joint challenges in assisting victims of hate speech.

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers Recommendation on Combating Hate Speech is more relevant than ever, and its set of legal and non-legal measures calls for immediate action by national authorities, equality bodies, media, civil society, internet intermediaries, academia and other key stakeholders. Through a comprehensive and right-based approach, we can counter hate speech and promote a culture of human rights across Europe. 

This event was organised within the framework of European Union/Council of Europe Joint programmes Partnership for Good Governance and Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

  Council of Europe Cyberviolence website - International day on countering hate speech marked for the first time

VLORË, Albania 15 June 2023
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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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