HIBAPRESS – W.A.M.
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Omar Zeniber, called on Thursday to strengthen collective action to combat hate speech and promote interreligious dialogue, stressing that the worrying developments witnessed by the world make this battle "more urgent than ever."
During the opening of the works of a parallel meeting organized by the Kingdom of Morocco on the sidelines of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva, Zeniber stressed that collective action remains the best way to overcome the divisions that have emerged in recent years regarding the ways to promote human rights and combat hate speech. The Moroccan diplomat called for strengthening the presence of this issue within the Human Rights Council through an initiative that encourages voluntary measures, including promoting interreligious dialogue through partnerships between countries, civil society organizations, and religious bodies, as well as collecting data to monitor the various manifestations of this phenomenon and follow it up, in addition to celebrating June 18 as an International Day to Combat Hate Speech. He explained that incitement to racial and religious hatred, negative stereotypes, and social stigma, in addition to the violence fueled by hate speech, misinformation, and false information, are spreading very quickly, exacerbating conflicts, discrimination, and serious violations of human rights. In contrast, Zeniber warned that the nature of this challenge has changed profoundly in the digital age, noting that the algorithms of social media networks contribute to the spread of the most extreme and hateful content quickly and on an unprecedented scale, which allows the exploitation of the digital space by extremists and promoters of discrimination and hatred. He also pointed to the increasing exposure of young people to these contents, highlighting that as a result of the misuse of information technology, children and young people are not limited to being exposed to hate speech, but may also participate in it, with serious repercussions for the future. Zeniber warned of the danger of the public debate saturated with hatred turning into something commonplace, explaining that the meeting organized by the Permanent Mission of Morocco in Geneva aims specifically to stimulate collective action to face these challenges. He stressed that countries have long recognized that hate speech is an issue related to human rights, recalling that although freedom of expression is guaranteed in international law, speeches that constitute incitement to violence remain prohibited under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. He pointed out that Morocco has spared no effort in promoting the fight against hate speech and interreligious dialogue, whether in the Human Rights Council in Geneva or in the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In this context, the ambassador mentioned the Kingdom's support for the adoption of the Rabat Plan of Action aimed at achieving a balance between freedom of expression and preventing incitement to hatred, as well as the Fez Plan of Action directed at religious leaders in order to prevent incitement to violence that may lead to heinous crimes. He also reviewed the initiatives launched by Morocco within the United Nations to promote interreligious dialogue and tolerance in the face of hate speech, especially the resolutions adopted in 2019 and 2021, which recognized June 18 as an International Day to Combat Hate Speech, in addition to organizing a parliamentary conference on interreligious dialogue in 2023 under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. This meeting was held under the slogan "Protecting Human Rights by Combating Hate Speech and Promoting Interreligious Dialogue", with a wide and diverse attendance of stakeholders, including the Moroccan Ambassador to the Holy See, representatives from the Vatican, the World Jewish Congress, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the World Council of Churches, who stressed the importance of a broad and comprehensive mobilization to promote interreligious dialogue and combat hate speech and discrimination.
