partprohibited

ForewordAroundtheworld,weareseeingadisturbinggroundswellofxenophobia,racismandintolerance–includingrisinganti-Semitism,anti-MuslimhatredandpersecutionofChristians.
Socialmediaandotherformsofcommunicationarebeingexploitedasplatformsforbigotry.
Neo-Naziandwhitesupremacymovementsareonthemarch.
Publicdiscourseisbeingweaponizedforpoliticalgainwithincendiaryrhetoricthatstigmatizesanddehumanizesminorities,migrants,refugees,womenandanyso-called"other".
Thisisnotanisolatedphenomenonortheloudvoicesofafewpeopleonthefringeofsociety.
Hateismovingintothemainstream–inliberaldemocraciesandauthoritariansystemsalike.
Andwitheachbrokennorm,thepillarsofourcommonhumanityareweakened.
Hatespeechisamenacetodemocraticvalues,socialstabilityandpeace.
Asamatterofprinciple,theUnitedNationsmustconfronthatespeechateveryturn.
Silencecansignalindifferencetobigotryandintolerance,evenasasituationescalatesandthevulnerablebecomevictims.
TacklinghatespeechisalsocrucialtodeepenprogressacrosstheUnitedNationsagendabyhelpingtopreventarmedconflict,atrocitycrimesandterrorism,endviolenceagainstwomenandotherseriousviolationsofhumanrights,andpromotepeaceful,inclusiveandjustsocieties.
Addressinghatespeechdoesnotmeanlimitingorprohibitingfreedomofspeech.
Itmeanskeepinghatespeechfromescalatingintosomethingmoredangerous,particularlyincitementtodiscrimination,hostilityandviolence,whichisprohibitedunderinternationallaw.
TheUnitedNationshasalonghistoryofmobilizingtheworldagainsthatredofallkindsthroughwide-rangingactiontodefendhumanrightsandadvancetheruleoflaw.
Indeed,theveryidentityandestablishmentoftheOrganizationarerootedinthenightmarethatensueswhenvirulenthatredisleftunopposedfortoolong.
Today,Ifear,wehavereachedanotheracutemomentinbattlingthisdemon,andsoIhaveaskedmySeniorAdviserstoexplorewhatmorewecando.
ThisStrategyandPlanofActionistheresult.
ItpointstoconcretewaysinwhichtheUnitedNationscanplayitspartinaddressinghatespeecharoundtheworldwhileupholdingfreedomofopinionandexpression,incollaborationwithGovernments,civilsociety,theprivatesectorandotherpartners.
Byenhancingglobalresilienceagainstthisinsidiousphenomenon,wecanstrengthenthebondsofsocietyandbuildabetterworldforall.
UnitedNationsSecretary-GeneralAntónioGuterresMay2019UNITEDNATIONSSTRATEGYANDPLANOFACTIONONHATESPEECH—1—WhatishatespeechThereisnointernationallegaldefinitionofhatespeech,andthecharacterizationofwhatis'hateful'iscontroversialanddisputed.
Inthecontextofthisdocument,thetermhatespeechisunderstoodasanykindofcommunicationinspeech,writingorbehaviour,thatattacksorusespejorativeordiscriminatorylanguagewithreferencetoapersonoragrouponthebasisofwhotheyare,inotherwords,basedontheirreligion,ethnicity,nationality,race,colour,descent,genderorotheridentityfactor.
Thisisoftenrootedin,andgeneratesintoleranceandhatredand,incertaincontexts,canbedemeaninganddivisive.
Ratherthanprohibitinghatespeechassuch,internationallawprohibitstheincitementtodiscrimination,hostilityandviolence(referredtohereas'incitement').
Incitementisaverydangerousformofspeech,becauseitexplicitlyanddeliberatelyaimsattriggeringdiscrimination,hostilityandviolence,whichmayalsoleadtoorincludeterrorismoratrocitycrimes.
HatespeechthatdoesnotreachthethresholdofincitementisnotsomethingthatinternationallawrequiresStatestoprohibit.
Itisimportanttounderlinethatevenwhennotprohibited,hatespeechmaytobeharmful.
TheimpactofhatespeechcutsacrossnumerousexistingUnitedNationsareasofoperations,including:humanrightsprotection;preventionofatrocitycrime;preventingandcounteringterrorismandtheunderlyingspreadofviolentextremismandcounter-terrorism;preventingandaddressinggender-basedviolence;enhancingprotectionofcivilians;refugeeprotection;thefightagainstallformsofracismanddiscrimination;protectionofminorities;sustainingpeace;andengagingwomen,childrenandyouth.
Addressinghatespeech,therefore,requiresacoordinatedresponsethattacklestherootcausesanddriversofhatespeech,aswellasitsimpactonvictimsandsocietiesmorebroadly.
StrategicvisionTheUNStrategyandPlanofActiononHateSpeechaimstogivetotheUnitedNationstheroomandtheresourcestoaddresshatespeech,whichposesathreattoUnitedNationsprinciples,valuesandprogrammes.
Measurestakenwillbeinlinewithinternationalhumanrightsnormsandstandards,inparticulartherighttofreedomofopinionandexpression.
Theobjectivesaretwofold:EnhanceUNeffortstoaddressrootcausesanddriversofhatespeechEnableeffectiveUNresponsestotheimpactofhatespeechonsocietiesUNITEDNATIONSSTRATEGYANDPLANOFACTIONONHATESPEECH—2—Inordertoaddresshatespeech,theUNwillimplementactionsatglobalandcountrylevel,aswellasenhanceinternalcooperationamongrelevantUNentities.
TheStrategywillbeguidedbythefollowingprinciples:1.
Thestrategyanditsimplementationtobeinlinewiththerighttofreedomofopinionandexpression.
TheUNsupportsmorespeech,notless,asthekeymeanstoaddresshatespeech;2.
Tacklinghatespeechistheresponsibilityofall–governments,societies,theprivatesector,startingwithindividualwomenandmen.
Allareresponsible,allmustact;3.
Inthedigitalage,theUNshouldsupportanewgenerationofdigitalcitizens,empoweredtorecognize,rejectandstanduptohatespeech;4.
Weneedtoknowmoretoacteffectively–thiscallsforcoordinateddatacollectionandresearch,includingontherootcauses,driversandconditionsconducivetohatespeech.
KeycommitmentsMonitoringandanalyzinghatespeechRelevantUNentitiesshouldbeabletorecognize,monitor,collectdataandanalyzehatespeechtrends.
Addressingrootcauses,driversandactorsofhatespeechTheUNsystemshouldadoptacommonunderstandingoftherootcausesanddriversofhatespeechinordertotakerelevantactiontobestaddressand/ormitigateitsimpact.
RelevantUNentitiesshouldalsoidentifyandsupportactorswhochallengehatespeech.
EngagingandsupportingthevictimsofhatespeechUNentitiesshouldshowsolidaritywiththevictimsofhatespeechandimplementhumanrights-centredmeasureswhichaimatcounteringretaliatoryhatespeechandescalationofviolence.
Theyshouldalsopromotemeasurestoensurethattherightsofvictimsareupheld,andtheirneedsaddressed,includingthroughadvocacyforremedies,accesstojusticeandpsychologicalcounselling.
—3—UNITEDNATIONSSTRATEGYANDPLANOFACTIONONHATESPEECHConveningrelevantactorsWhenrelevanttothecontext,theUNshouldsupportconveningofkeyactors;reframeproblemsinwaysthatmakesolutionsmoreattainable;introduceindependentmediationandexpertise;andbuildcoalitions.
EngagingwithnewandtraditionalmediaTheUNsystemshouldestablishandstrengthenpartnershipswithnewandtraditionalmediatoaddresshatespeechnarrativesandpromotethevaluesoftolerance,non-discrimination,pluralism,andfreedomofopinionandexpression.
UsingtechnologyUNentitiesshouldkeepupwithtechnologicalinnovationandencouragemoreresearchontherelationshipbetweenthemisuseoftheInternetandsocialmediaforspreadinghatespeechandthefactorsthatdriveindividualstowardsviolence.
UNentitiesshouldalsoengageprivatesectoractors,includingsocialmediacompanies,onstepstheycantaketosupportUNprinciplesandactiontoaddressandcounterhatespeech,encouragingpartnershipsbetweengovernment,industryandcivilsociety.
UsingeducationasatoolforaddressingandcounteringhatespeechUNentitiesshouldtakeactioninformalandinformaleducationtoimplementSDG4,promotethevaluesandskillsofGlobalCitizenshipEducation,andenhanceMediaandInformationLiteracy.
Fosteringpeaceful,inclusiveandjustsocietiestoaddresstherootcausesanddriversofhatespeechTheUNSystemshouldraiseawarenessaboutrespectforhumanrights,non-discrimination,toleranceandunderstandingofotherculturesandreligions,aswellasgenderequality,includinginthedigitalworld.
Itshouldpromoteintercultural,interfaithandintrareligiousdialogueandmutualunderstanding.
—4—UNITEDNATIONSSTRATEGYANDPLANOFACTIONONHATESPEECHEngaginginadvocacyTheUNshoulduseadvocacy,bothprivateandpublic,tohighlighthatespeechtrendsofconcernaswellastoexpresssympathyandsupporttotargetedindividualsorgroups.
DevelopingguidanceforexternalcommunicationsCommunicationsshouldbestrategicallyusedtoaddress,counterandmitigatetheimpactofhatespeech,aswellascounteractitsbearing,withoutrestrictingtherighttofreedomofexpression.
LeveragingpartnershipsTheUNshouldestablish/strengthenpartnershipswithrelevantstakeholders,includingthoseworkinginthetechindustry.
MostofthemeaningfulactionagainsthatespeechwillnotbetakenbytheUNalone,butbygovernments,regionalandmultilateralorganizations,privatecompanies,media,religiousandothercivilsocietyactors.
BuildingtheskillsofUNstaffUNstaff'sskillsatleadershipandworkingleveltounderstandandaddresshatespeechshouldbeenhancedacrossrelevantUNentities,includingviaexistingprogrammes.
SupportingMemberStatesUponrequest,theUNshouldprovidesupporttoMemberStatesinthefieldofcapacitybuildingandpolicydevelopmenttoaddresshatespeech.
Inthiscontext,theUnitedNationswillconveneaninternationalconferenceonEducationforPreventionwithfocusonaddressingandcounteringHateSpeechwhichwouldinvolveMinistersofEducation.
—5—UNITEDNATIONSSTRATEGYANDPLANOFACTIONONHATESPEECH