International Day for Countering Hate Speech: History, significance and all you need to know

The world marks International Day for Countering Hate Speech today, 18 June, to highlight the need for combating hate speech and promoting tolerance and dialogue between different communities. This year marks the first time the day will be observed. History: In July 2021, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution “promoting inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech”. The global body also drew attention to concerns over the proliferation of hate speech all around the globe. The resolution passed by the UN highlighted the need to counter xenophobia, hate speech and discrimination. It called on all relevant actors, including member states, to speed up their efforts to address these issues, in line with international human rights law. The resolution also declared 18 June would be marked as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech. The initiative builds upon the UN  Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech that was started in 2019. The strategy emphasises on the “need to counter hate holistically and with full respect for freedom of opinion and expression”. It also provides a framework on how the global body can complement states in tackling the issue. Significance: Hate speech goes against the core principles of the UN Charter such as equality, peace, and respect for human dignity. It has the potential to undermine social cohesion and tolerance, give rise to violence and disharmony as well as cause physical, emotional and psychological harm to the affected people/communities. The devastating impact of the phenomenon has been further amplified by social media and other means of communication. If left unchecked, hate speech can lead to wide-scale human rights violations, increase conflicts and upend peace and development measures. The escalation from hate speech to violence has had a major role in the most horrific crimes of the modern world, from the antisemitism driving the Holocaust, to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Celebrations: On the first observance of International Day for Countering Hate Speech, Morocco and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention organised a high-level event with the theme: “Role of education to address the root causes of hate speech and advance inclusion, non-discrimination, and peace”