Countering hate speech and hate crime| May 2023 Newsletter




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Statement by the General Rapporteur on Combating racism and intolerance, Ms Petra Bayr

“Countering racism and intolerance is a moral obligation for everyone, and a daily task for politicians who are committed to promoting democracy, human rights and equality. Insidious forms of intolerance, such as online hate speech and conspiracy myths, are rife and on the rise. Tackling them requires not only political will, but also cultural and technological tools.

As Coordinator of the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance, I consider it my mission to raise awareness and inform fellow legislators on new tools and methods to be used in this area. The Parliamentary seminar on combating hate speech and hate crime in Vienna on 8 May is part of this effort. It is also an opportunity to renew and strengthen the excellent cooperation with the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union, a “natural partner” for the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance”

Upcoming events

8 May 2023 – Parliamentary seminar on countering hate speech and hate crime

On 8 May, the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance will hold a parliamentary seminar on “Countering hate speech and hate crime – intersectional approach, data collection, victim protection”. Co-organised by the Austrian delegation to the PACE, the event will take place at the Austrian Parliament in Vienna. Guest speakers will include Ms Sandra Konstatzky, Director of the Office of the Ombudsperson for Equal Treatment of Austria, and representatives from the Ministry of the Interior and the NGO ZARA – Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit. In the afternoon, members of the Alliance will take part in a working visit to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and hold an exchange of views with its Director Michael O'Flaherty. See the full programme here.

Publications

The Parliamentary toolkit on hate speech is now available in English on the Alliance’s website. Prepared by Chara Bakalis of Oxford Brookes University, in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, this handbook contains indications on how to create fair and effective hate speech provisions, effectively enforce legislation and combat online hate speech.

With examples of legislation and good practices from Council of Europe member States, the handbook is meant first and foremost for parliamentarians but can be a useful tool for civil society organisations and other actors committed to combating hate speech.

All the publications ›


Charter of European political parties for a non-racist and inclusive society: signatures information page

Ireland’s Sinn Féin and Sweden’s Vänsterpartiet (Left Party) have announced their decision to sign up to the Charter. All democratic political parties and movements may formalise their commitment to countering racism and intolerance by adhering to it. The text of the Charter is now easily available at this information page, together with the texts adopted by the Assembly to endorse it. For enquiries or to notify a party’s decision to sign up, please contact the secretariat at [email protected].


In other news

ECRI, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, has published reports assessing of the implementation of the priority recommendations addressed to the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in 2020. More here. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has issued a guide addressing ways to support widespread and improved collection data on the rights of people with disabilities across European Union member States. The document highlights tools to develop and improve indicators in order to assess the national implementation of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Read more here.

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