UN chief Antonio Guterres launches global push against hate speech

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General launched a new global strategy to combat whatever the global body considers hate speech, a growing scourge he said “poisoned” debate on crucial issues. In a speech at the opening of the council’s 40th session, he said ““Hate is moving into the mainstream — in liberal democracies and authoritarian systems alike” .

Governments across the world have watched with concern as racist and other hate speech have coarsened the political climate. France and Germany have raised particular alarm in recent weeks over resurgent anti-Semitism.

Guterres targeted his rebuke at widespread criticism of the UN’s Global Compact on Migration, a non-binding text that is said to set out best practices for managing refugee and migrant flows. The UN chief marked the campaign “failed”.

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