Statement of the Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia on the International Day for Countering Hate Speech

As we are marking the International Day for Countering Hate Speech for the first time this year, we call for collective and concerted action in addressing this gross violation of fundamental rights and amplify the message of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and:

“Hate speech is an attack on tolerance, inclusion, diversity and the very essence of our human rights norms and principles. More broadly, it undermines social cohesion, erodes shared values, and can lay the foundation for violence, setting back the cause of peace, stability, sustainable development, and the fulfillment of human rights for all.”

Around the World, we see a disturbing groundswell of xenophobia, racism, and intolerance. Social Media and other forms of communication are exploited as platforms to perpetrate hatred. Public discourse is being weaponized for political gain with incendiary rhetoric that stigmatizes and dehumanizes minorities, migrants, refugees, women and any so called ‘other ‘. This is not an isolated phenomenon or just the loud voices of a few people on the fringe of society. Hate speech can quickly escalate into incitement to discrimination, hostility, and violence, and can put at risk entire communities.

Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. On the contrary, it means encouraging open dialogue and critical discourse while respecting human dignity. It means reminding ourselves of the importance of solidarity and sympathy.

Tackling hate speech is key to deepen progress around the United Nations Agenda for development and peace. The United Nations at all levels – international, regional and country-level – is scaling up its efforts to combat hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation by engaging Governments, parliamentarians, media, civil society, Women, Youth and other stakeholders. For example, education, learning and critical thinking capabilities are key tools we can all deploy to build and strengthen our democratic values such as respect for human rights, diversity, social inclusion and justice and gender equality.

Let us not stay silent in the face of hate speech - it is our shared responsibility to speak up and promote tolerance and understanding for the benefit of our communities, societies, and countries.