Back Improving the processing of cases of hate speech appearing in the media in the Republic of Moldova

Improving the processing of cases of hate speech appearing in the media in the Republic of Moldova

Monitors of the Audiovisual Council, the media national regulatory authority of the Republic of Moldova, improve their capacities on the application of a standard methodology for assessing and processing hate speech in audio-visual media through four practical training sessions.

The sessions, held in December 2023, were organised as a follow up to the development of the guide on “Combating hate speech in the media in the Republic of Moldova”, which served as basis to adopt a methodology for monitoring hate speech as endorsed by the Audiovisual Council.

With these training sessions, further steps were made with a focus on practical exercises simulating the application of this methodological tool, relying on the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and examples of good practices from other European countries.

Participants to the training sessions discussed the challenges faced in identifying hate speech cases in the local context and proposed additional improvements in monitoring practices, in line with European standards.

 Read the news article in Romanian: Îmbunătățirea procesării cazurilor de discurs de ură care apar în media audiovizuală din Republica Moldova

This event, organised in cooperation with the Audiovisual Council of the Republic of Moldova, is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project “Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova”.

Chisinau, Republic of Moldova 12 December 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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