The UN Secretary-General has called for concerted action by governments, technology companies and civil society to stamp out hate speech, emphasizing that “its toxic message is spreading fast and striking deep”.
António Guterres was speaking at the opening of a global conference on promoting interreligious and cultural dialogue held at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.
“In its worst forms, hate speech incites violence, drives conflict, and contributes to the perpetration of atrocity crimes – including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing,” he said.
“We have seen it happen before and we see it happening now. And we cannot let it continue.”
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‘Weaponising new technology’
The Secretary-General quoted from the UN Charter which commits the world’s people to “practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours”.
Although the Organization has pushed hard to fulfill that pledge, “hate speech has always worked against this vision,” he told participants.
“And today, its toxic message is spreading fast and striking deep,” he said.
“Taking on new forms. Finding new pathways. And weaponising new technologies, from digital platforms and algorithms to Artificial Intelligence.”
Common humanity tested
He warned that the growing reach of hate speech “is testing our shared humanity” by eroding trust, dividing communities and dehumanizing entire groups. It is also attacking and weakening “our capacity for acceptance, empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity.”
The Secretary-General said racism, misogyny, and xenophobia are being celebrated. At the same time, antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, discrimination against minority Christian communities, and hatred of other religious and ethnic groups are being normalised.
Step up action now
“We must raise our collective voice and reject hatred. And we must redouble our efforts to tackle hate speech, online and offline,” he said.
He stressed the need to address the root causes, drivers and consequences by strengthening inclusive dialogue among nations, cultures and religions that is grounded in respect and equity.
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He was also clear that “reining in hate speech does not mean extinguishing freedom of expression, but freedom of expression must never be an excuse for causing or compounding harm.”
UN Photo/Ilyas A. Abukar A boy reads from a Koran at a mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia. ‘A shared responsibility’
The Secretary-General said the international community already knows how to stop the damage caused by hate speech and pointed to two UN initiatives in this regard, namely the Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech and the Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites.
“But we cannot conquer hate speech on our own,” he said.
“Governments, regional and multilateral organizations, the private sector, and civil society – including faith communities, academia, and the media – have a shared responsibility to help build peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.”
Insisting that “we all have a role to play,” the Secretary-General ended his remarks by delivering an urgent message to the international community.
“We must work together to foster mutual understanding,” he said. “To end the tragic cycles of fear, hatred, and violence. And to build the cohesive and stable societies envisioned in the Charter.”
