United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for “confronting the current escalation of hate speech in various parts of the world”, seeing it as “behaviour that incites violence, undermines diversity and social cohesion, and threatens the common values ​​and principles that bind the world”.

“Hate speech fuels racism, xenophobia and misogyny, dehumanizes individuals and societies, and significantly affects our efforts to promote peace, security, human rights and sustainable development,” Guterres said in a message on the occasion of the first International Day Against Hate Speech.

He stressed that “the escalation of hate speech towards violence has played a major role in the most horrific and tragic crimes of modern times” and believed that “The Internet and social media are fueling hatred to the maximum so that it spreads like wildfire across borders.”

Three years ago, Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Hate Speech, a new framework to support Member States in combating this scourge while respecting freedom of expression. This was done in collaboration with civil society, the media, technology companies and social media platforms. Last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for dialogue between cultures and religions to combat hate speech and designated June 19 as the International Day Against Hate Speech.

The UN Secretary-General has warned that hate speech “is a danger to all and fighting it is a challenge for all of us.”