Countering and Addressing Online Hate Speech: A Guide for policy makers and practitioners

On 18 June 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech. The Strategy represents the United Nations commitment to step up its action to address this global challenge in a holistic way, including various relevant actors in society. The Strategy comprises 13 commitments of action to address and counter hate speech in line with international human rights norms and standards, the right to freedom of opinion and expression in particular. The Strategy further emphasizes the importance of partnerships in tackling hate speech, and among its guiding principles, it notes: ‘tackling hate speech is the responsibility of all – governments, societies, the private sector, starting with individual women and men. All are responsible, all must act’. 

To implement the commitments of the UN Strategy related to tackling online hate speech, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, in its capacity as the global focal point for the implementation of the UN Strategy, has established partnerships with technology and social media companies to address areas of concern and identify opportunities for collaboration.