The United Nations General Assembly declared June 18 as the "International Day for Countering Hate Speech" in order to protect human rights against hate speech and to promote intercultural dialogue and tolerance.

Hate speech is defined as follows in the United Nations Hate Speech Strategy and Action Plan of 2019: “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender or other identity factor.”

According to Recommendation 97(20) on “Hateful Expressions” issued by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, hate speech includes: “(…) racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism against minorities, immigrants and people of immigrant origin, includes any form of expression that spreads, incites, encourages or justifies other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including religious intolerance, expressed in the form of discrimination and hostility”.

Hate speech and hate crimes threaten the principle of equality, which is one of the requirements of a democratic social order, generally target vulnerable groups, and increase discrimination and marginalization. Hate and prejudice can sometimes arise on the basis of "religion, race, color and ethnic origin" or "disability and old age" of individuals or groups, and can turn into different forms of violence in daily life, especially on digital platforms, with the potential to encourage violence, undermine social cohesion and tolerance, and cause psychological, emotional and physical harm to individuals.

Discrimination and hate speech based on language, religion, race, color, sex, age, ethnic origin, etc. are contrary to international human rights regulations such as the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Council Directive 2000/43/EC on the Application of the Principle of Equal Treatment of Persons Regardless of Race or Ethnic Origin and universal human rights principles.

Our Institution, main mission of which is to guarantee the right of individuals to be treated equally based on human dignity and to prevent discrimination in the enjoyment of legally recognized rights and freedoms, celebrates the International Day for Countering Hate Speech with the hope of building an egalitarian society where all kinds of prejudice and discriminatory hate speech end.

Respectfully announced to the public.