Flag

An official website of the United States government

Joint Statement on Combatting Antisemitism and Online Hatred – Item 9 General Debate
6 MINUTE READ
October 3, 2022

Human Rights Council 51st session

Joint Statement on Combating Antisemitism and Online Hatred

Delivered by  Slovakia Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Mr. Rastislav Káčer

Item 9 General Debate

The United States Joined the Following Joint Statement at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council

Human Rights Council 51st session

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of Austria, Czechia, and my own country, Slovakia, with the support of a cross-regional group of countries.

The Internet and new technologies have brought many ground-breaking opportunities: they connect the world, facilitate information sharing, improve access to knowledge and the free circulation of ideas. During the pandemic they allowed us to stay connected and better cope with new challenges together.

Regrettably, today, the Internet and social media are increasingly revealing a darker side. The ease and speed with which hate speech and disinformation are able to spread and reach a large audience all across the globe is deeply worrying.

Racism, antisemitism and all other forms of related intolerance and hatred pose a constant and serious challenge to human rights and the dignity of every person.

We have witnessed that hateful rhetoric leads to acts of hatred, including multiple instances of attacks and violence directed against persons belonging to minorities worldwide.

We are deeply concerned by the prejudices that are incited by conspiracy theories, often targeting Jewish communities.

As Holocaust denial and distortion, among others, are on the rise, we must ensure the accurate portrayal of history.

We welcome the resolution on Holocaust denial adopted by consensus by the United Nations General Assembly as well as the work of the UN, UNESCO, OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Council of Europe, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, the European Union and all others to counter this phenomenon.

Social media and the online world should not be abused as a space for spreading disinformation, hate, distorted truth. They should connect, educate, help to understand and bring us closer to each other.

Therefore, today:

We restate our commitment to combat antisemitism and all forms of racism, intolerance, prejudice and discrimination – anywhere, at any time, including online.

We pledge collective action throughout the entire UN system to mainstream the fight against antisemitism.

We pledge to counter hate speech and Holocaust denial and distortion online.

We pledge to respect, protect and promote the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information.

We pledge to empower civil society, support media sustainability and promote digital literacy in order to support better differentiation between reliable, verified information and unverified information.

Just as hatred and hate speech are constantly transforming and adapting to new realities, so must our joint fight against them in broad coalitions.

Therefore, we also call international organizations, governments, civil society, tech companies and all stakeholders to increase their efforts, and create alliances to prioritize the fight against antisemitism and all forms of racism, intolerance, prejudice and discrimination.

Thank you.

List of signatories

1. Albania

2. Argentina

3. Armenia

4. Australia

5. Austria

6. Belgium

7. Bosnia and Hercegovina

8. Brazil

9. Bulgaria

10. Canada

11. Colombia

12. Croatia

13. Cyprus

14. Czechia

15. Denmark

16. Estonia

17. Finland

18. France

19. Germany

20. Greece

21. Guatemala

22. Hungary

23. Ireland

24. Israel

25. Italy

26. Japan

27. Latvia

28. Lithuania

29. Luxembourg

30. Malta

31. Moldova

32. Montenegro

33. Netherlands

34. New Zealand

35. North Macedonia

36. Norway

37. Poland

38. Portugal

39. Romania

40. Slovakia

41. Slovenia

42. Spain

43. St. Kitts and Nevis

44. Sweden

45. Türkiye

46. Ukraine

47. United Arab Emirates

48. United Kingdom

49. United States of America

50. Uruguay