Further UN initiatives to combat hate speech

Other initiatives across the United Nations system go beyond legal responses and aim to prevent and mitigate the impact of hate speech.

The Rabat Plan of Action

Complementing international human rights law provisions, the Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence provides key guidance on the distinction between freedom of expression and the incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence. Adopted in October 2012, the Rabat Plan of Action is the outcome of a series of expert meetings organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It stresses the collective responsibility of State officials, religious and community leaders, the media, civil society and all individuals to nurture social unity, tolerance and dialogue to prevent incitement to hatred.

The Plan of Action for religious leaders and actors

This Plan of Action includes a broad range of recommendations for how religious leaders and actors can prevent incitement to violence and contribute to peace and stability. It is meant primarily as a tool to inform the work of religious leaders and actors, but is also relevant for States and institutions, secular civil society organizations and media. Launched in July 2017, the Plan of Action captures the recommendations of a two-year consultation that took place within the “Fez process''. This process was the first of its kind engaging religious leaders and actors from different faiths and religions to develop strategies to prevent incitement that could lead to atrocity crimes. The consultations were organized globally by the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (OSAPG). They took place between April 2015 and December 2016 and gathered 232 religious leaders and actors from 77 countries, as well as government officials, UN entities, civil society organizations and experts on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, human rights and development.

Social Media 4 Peace

Initiated in January 2021 in three pilot countries, with the support of the European Union, this UNESCO project aims to strengthen the resilience of societies to potentially harmful content spread online – in particular hate speech inciting violence – while protecting freedom of expression and promoting peace through digital technologies, notably social media.

Beyond the long shadow: engaging with difficult histories

Debuting in July 2020, this live discussion series was organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications in partnership with the Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, and the UN Outreach Programme on the Holocaus, as well as the Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations. The aim of this collaborative series is to develop a deeper understanding of the legacies of painful human tragedies, and by examining the past, consider how best to build a world that is just and where all can live in dignity and peace.

#SpreadNoHate Series

As anti-immigrant and anti-refugee rhetoric in politics, the news and social media gained steam worldwide, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) launched the #SpreadNoHate initiative in 2015. Its goal is to provide global media with a platform to engage in an international dialogue on hate speech against migrants and refugees and to share good practices to promote positive narratives.

UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy initiatives (MIL)

UNESCO supports the development of MIL competencies through a broad range of actions, partnerships and resources. These include free and open online courses for self-paced learning about MIL and the UNESCO MIL Alliance and MIL University Network to facilitate networking and research. The recently launched MIL CLICKS social media initiative is also part of UNESCO’s strategy to advance media and information literacy worldwide, while the Global Media and Information Literacy Week - commemorated annually in October – is an occasion to review and celebrate the progress achieved towards MIL for all.

The “Verified” Initiative

This global UN initiative launched in May 2020 aims to combat COVID-19 misinformation, which is often paired with fear-mongering and hateful content, by increasing the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information. “Verified” pairs UN agencies and teams around the world with influencers, civil society, business and media organizations in order to distribute trusted, accurate content. It also works with social media platforms to root out hate and harmful comments about COVID-19.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance

Secretary-General António Guterres has convened an AI Advisory Body to support the international community’s efforts to govern artificial intelligence. In parallel, the UN is developing a code of conduct for information integrity, to help increase resilience in societies against disinformation and hate. The Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Fleming, brought to the attention of the UN Security Council the key concerns over the technology’s potential to amplify the harms of disinformation and misinformation. 

The International Day for Countering Hate Speech

Marking an important milestone in the fight against hate speech, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on “promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech”. It proclaims 18 June as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech and it was first marked on 18 June 2022.