Nebraska Dave News and Reviews

Technically, this is a repost, as this seems better explained as a self-post. More to the point, Channel News Asia recently reported (via AFP) how UN General-Secretary Guterres is launching a "global push against hate speech" that's ostensibly in response the ""poisoned" debate on crucial challenges like migration":

[UN General-Secretary] Guterres announced the effort, which will be led by his special adviser on genocide prevention Adama Dieng, at the UN Human Rights Council.

"Hate is moving into the mainstream – in liberal democracies and authoritarian systems alike," he said in a speech at the opening of the council's 40th session.

The official press release provided by the UN on its own website tries to downplay this development under the title "Youth, indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees boost hope for human rights," the section where hate speech is mentioned doesn't sound any better in context:

Hate speech ‘spreads like wildfire’

In addition to improving women’s rights, the UN Secretary-General expressed alarm about the “shrinking civil space in every region of the globe”; and a rise in harassment, attacks and inflammatory rhetoric.

“Hate speech is a menace to democratic values, social stability and peace,” Mr. Guterres said. “It spreads like wildfire through social media, the internet and conspiracy theories. It is abetted by public discourses that stigmatizes women, minorities, migrants and refugees and any so-called ‘other’. Indeed, hate is moving into the mainstream, in liberal democracies and authoritarian States alike.”

To tackle this, the UN chief announced the creation of a fast-track strategy to scale up the organization’s response to hate speech and present a global plan of action, headed by his Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng.

This kind of initiative was necessary in light of the political capital earned at the expense of migrants and refugees, who some leaders had blamed for a rise in crime and terrorism, the Secretary-General insisted.

“We must re-establish the integrity of the international refugee protection regime and continue to work for common values and international cooperation to reassert rights and help protect people from ruthless traffickers, smugglers and other predators,” he said.

Even ignoring the mild aside that Guterres was President of the Socialist Internationale and part of Portugal's Socialist Party before becoming General-Secretary, one can't help but wonder if the current censorship push on Japan may only be a warm-up.

But have at it, KiA!

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