(Part 1) Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech

May we please start? Your Excellency, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, the Kingdom of Morocco; Your Excellency, Mr. Khalilou Ragman, President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly; Your Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General; Your Excellency, Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia; Excellencies, distinguished faith actors and representatives of the civil society, and dear colleagues. It's my honor and privilege to welcome you all to the opening segment of the Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech. I'm delighted to invite His Excellency, Mr. Nassir Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco to deliver his remarks.

Seid Antonio Guterres.

Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. Excellency, Mr. Khalilur Rahman, President of the General Assembly. Excellency, Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Mr. Choloka Bihyani, Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you to the opening of this global conference on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech, organized by the Kingdom of Morocco in partnership with the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Morocco's initiative to convene this meeting stems from the spirit of the royal message addressed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, to the participants of the 9th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations held in Fez on the 22nd of November 2022. I quote the following from his message. His Majesty said, "Politics speaks to citizens, religion speaks to their souls, and dialogue speaks to their civilizations." In all languages, we must speak of and embrace peace. It is in this spirit we meet today, to make dialogue a shared responsibility and respect for differences a commitment reflected in people's lives. Hate speech is without doubt a recurring subject in international forums. Yet our continued attention to it must not be reduced to a routine agenda item revisited merely to mark an occasion or ease our consciences. Reality continues to bring this issue to the forefront of our concerns and to remind us of its gravity. When a Muslim woman is pressured to remove her headscarf due to humiliation and intimidation, When a person of the Jewish faith is compelled to remove their kippah for fear of being attacked. When a player is targeted on the sports field because of the color of their skin. And when a migrant feels, whenever possible, compelled to hide their name in their host country for fear of discrimination because of his or her origin. Does this not mean that a human being, in the fullness of their identity and dignity, is reduced only to a name, a color, or a religion? What serenity can a person enjoy in their own community if they must conceal their beliefs to avoid harm? What cohesion can we expect from a society in which some people feel that they must make themselves invisible for their presence to be accepted? And what kind of peaceful world can we hope to build when entire communities endure stigma fueled by hate? The tolerance we seek must be reflected in every aspect of daily life, at school, on the street, in stadiums, on beaches and at swimming pools, at airports and online. It is in all these settings that the sincerity of our commitments and the effectiveness of our decisions are put to the test. Excellencies, to understand and confront these manifestations, we must ask: Where does this hatred come from, and how does it find people willing to embrace and perpetuate it? Understanding its causes requires us to examine the fears within our societies. Fear is rooted primarily in ignorance of the other, inherited prejudices, social and economic vulnerability, and the perception of religious and cultural differences as a threat. Regrettably, Political movements may exploit these fears, turning them into religious or racial hostility, and holding an entire community responsible for isolated incidents or individual acts. When we see political leaders who have held government office in countries not far from Morocco normalizing hatred, we must sound the alarm. Such rhetoric becomes all the more dangerous when justifications are sought for it or when it is presented as a defense of identity and belonging, thereby dressing intolerance in the guise of virtue or patriotism. This places an even greater responsibility on political, religious, and intellectual leaders and institutions to confront the use of religion and identity to justify exclusion. Countering hatred requires courage in public discourse, fairness in policy, and sustained efforts to address the causes of marginalization and restore trust between individuals, their communities, and their institutions. Morocco's organization of this conference is a natural expression of its steadfast commitment to dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence. This is the logical continuation of an engagement deeply rooted in the kingdom's history, supported by its institutions and by the choices that have shaped its national identity to be open to universal values. The constitution enshrines this unified identity with its diverse components and influences. It brings together its Arab, Islamic, Amazigh, and Saharan Hassani components enriched by its African, Andalusian, Hebraic, and Mediterranean influences. The institution of the Commandery of the Faithful is the cornerstone of this foundation. His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, as Commander of the Faithful, is the guarantor of the free exercise of religion as provided by the Kingdom's Constitution. Under this historically rooted institution, Morocco welcomed at various periods religious and ethnic communities forced to leave their homelands to escape persecution and inquisition. The coexistence of different religious communities, Muslims, Jews, and Christians sharing the same living space over the centuries subsequently became an institutional choice reflected in state policies under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Under the aegis of the same institution and in keeping with these national foundations, Morocco plays a leading role in advancing efforts to counter hate speech in international fora. At Morocco's initiative, the General Assembly adopted three resolutions in this field, including the landmark resolution on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech. In the kingdom's capital, the Rabat Plan of Action was developed in 2012 on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence. In Marrakesh, the Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in the Islamic World was issued in 2016. The Fez Process also gave rise to the Plan of Action for religious leaders and actors to prevent incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes. Making progress in our efforts against the scourge of hatred requires us to direct our discussions and recommendations that emerge from them towards clearly defined areas of action. In this regard, I would like to emphasize five priorities. First, fostering respect for differences from an early age. Schools must equip children with the knowledge to overcome stereotypes and the critical thinking skills to resist incitement. Second, Making interreligious and intercultural dialogue a regular practice within society, bringing people together through joint initiatives that serve the common good and foster mutual understanding beyond prejudice. Third, strengthening the responsibility of political actors in political fora and in the media and online. Fourth, linking dialogue efforts to policies that promote fairness, participation and equal opportunities. Fifth, Strengthening the prevention of hate speech in the digital sphere. This requires closer cooperation with digital platforms to develop effective mechanisms for detecting content that incites hatred while safeguarding freedom of expression. Our responsibility, as we gather at this conference, is to ensure that mutual respect makes a tangible difference in people's lives and that preventing hatred remains a permanent part of our collective work. The Kingdom of Morocco will continue to contribute to this endeavor, as we are convinced that upholding human dignity is a foundation of security and that coexistence requires sustained care and shared responsibility across society. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Excellency, for your telling remarks. May I now invite His Excellency, Mr. Khalil Ragman, the President of the General Assembly, to deliver his remarks.

Thank you. Mr. Minister, Mr. Secretary General, Mr. High Representative for UN Alliance for Civilizations, faith and civil society leaders, excellencies, friends, ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to join you today at this important global conference. My sincere thanks to the co-organizers for gathering us for this important event. I commend especially the Kingdom of Morocco for its leadership in shepherding the landmark General Assembly resolutions 77/318 and 79/316, which recognized that intolerance and hate speech require a coordinated global strategy and that interreligious and intercultural dialogue can serve as a principal tool to counter their rise by promoting social cohesion, peace, and development. The resolutions provided important foundations for our discussions today. Our goal is to build on this foundation and raise awareness of the continued threat of intolerance and hate speech by identifying practices and partnerships that accelerate our efforts to counter their spread. Hate speech is more than just offensive rhetoric. It is an assault on human dignity, equality, and the values of the United Nations Charter. And it is a growing threat to global peace, development, and human rights. It seeks to divide communities, dehumanize individuals, and turn difference into danger. It fuels discrimination, exclusion, and violence, and in the most extreme cases, it can drive atrocity and crimes. Today, hateful narratives can spread across borders and into homes at unprecedented speed and scale, often targeting women, migrants, refugees, persons with disabilities, youth, minorities, and others, and often for political gain. The rapid evolution of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, adds a further dimension. These technologies can be used to amplify falsehoods, manipulate public debate, and spread hatred faster and farther than ever before. But if designed, governed, and used responsibly, they can also help us identify risks, promote accurate information, and strengthen resilience against hate. The choice is ours. To be clear, hate speech rarely begins with words alone. It often grows from fear and a lack of understanding or even contact with people of different faiths, cultures, and creeds. This seed of ignorance or insecurity is then nourished by those with malicious intent, weaponizing these sentiments and offering them a target. In contrast, when we listen to one another, we replace suspicion with understanding and hostility with a recognition of our common humanity. This is why dialogue and tolerance are not abstract ideals. They are practical instruments for prevention, peace building, and sustainable development. They help address the root causes of hatred before it hardens into discrimination, violence, or conflict. Dialogue and tolerance, therefore, are some of the strongest tools we have to wipe out the root causes of hate speech and to cultivate trust, one of the strongest antidotes against prejudice, misinformation, and hostility. As President of the current General Assembly session, I am pleased to note that restoring trust is at the heart of my vision for the work of this session. It reflects my sincere belief that trust is the unspoken agreement between us as individuals and as member states that we will respect each other and work in good faith to find collective common solutions to the challenges that affect us. To counter hate speech, we must translate this vision into action. We must invest in education. media and information literacy, and meaningful opportunities for young people to lead. We must support local communities and faith leaders who build bridges every day. We must promote accurate, reliable, and inclusive public information. We must also strengthen cooperation among governments, technology companies, the media, educators, civil society, faith-based organizations, and users themselves. Our response must be whole of society, grounded in international human rights law, and faithful to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination. This event offers an important opportunity to share good practices, learn from one another, and build partnerships that produce measurable results. It should help us move from awareness to action, and from statements of concern to sustained prevention. The United Nations was founded on the conviction that the dignity and worth of every human person must be protected. Let us uphold that conviction. Let us choose dialogue over division, respect over contempt, and solidarity over hatred. Let us use the tools of our age, including new and emerging technologies, not to deepen fear, but to widen understanding and advance human dignity. And let us ensure that our physical and digital spaces alike reflect the values of tolerance, inclusion, and mutual respect. In doing so, we'll not only counter hate speech, we'll also help restore trust, responsibly manage transformation, and rebuild a United Nations that delivers for all. I thank you.

I would like to thank His Excellency, the President of the General Assembly, for his incisive remarks. May I now invite His Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, to deliver his remarks.

Honorable Minister Nasser Burita, Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, It's my great honor to welcome you to this Global Conference on Countering Hate Speech. Today's agenda speaks to a promise spelled out in the opening lines of the United Nations Charter, a promise that we, the peoples, will, and I quote, "practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors," end of quote. Through eight decades, our organization has pushed hard to fulfill that pledge. by pursuing the pacific settlement of disputes, by advancing efforts to build inclusive and just societies, by calling out human rights violations, and by serving as a forum for global dialogue where people from all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs are welcomed, heard, and celebrated. But hate speech has always worked against this vision. And today, its toxic message is spreading fast and striking deep. taking on new forms, finding new pathways, and weaponizing new technologies, from digital platforms and algorithms to artificial intelligence. Its growing reach is testing our shared humanity. Across continents, hateful and incendiary rhetoric is eroding trust, dividing communities, and dehumanizing entire groups. We see critical pillars of our societies, namely our capacity for acceptance, empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity, attacked and weakened. Racism, misogyny, and xenophobia celebrated. Antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, discrimination against minority Christian communities, and hatred for other religious and ethnic groups normalized. human rights violated, and human dignity trampled. In its worst forms, hate speech incites violence, drives conflict, and contributes to the perpetration of atrocity crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing. We have seen it happen before, and we see it happening now. And we cannot let it continue. Excellencies, We must raise our collective voice and reject hatred. And we must redouble our efforts to tackle hate speech online and offline. That means addressing the root causes and drivers, as well as the consequences. And it means strengthening dialogue among nations, cultures, and religions. To bear fruit, these efforts must be truly inclusive, grounded in respect and equity, shaped by women, men, and youth, and welcoming of religions, traditions, and community leaders, indigenous peoples, and minority groups. Their grasp of local realities and trust among local communities can shape behaviors and narratives across generations, helping to ease tensions and prevent and resolve conflicts. Countering hateful and dangerous narratives also requires education more support for those targeted by abuse, stronger commitments by governments, and greater accountability for technology companies. Let me be clear. Reining in hate speech does not mean extinguishing freedom of expression. But freedom of expression must never be an excuse for causing or compounding harm. Excellencies. We know how to stop the damage caused by hate speech, and how to open pathways for interreligious and intercultural dialogue. I commend efforts to step up coordinated action across the UN system. First, through the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, which outlines key principles and commitments to guide our efforts on education, partnerships, advocacy, and counter-narratives. Crucially, It is grounded in international human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the principles of equality and non-discrimination. And second, through the UN Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites. Also anchored in human rights, it lays out concrete recommendations for supporting Member States' efforts to ensure that religious sites are safe, that worshippers can observe their rituals in peace, and that the values of compassion and tolerance can flourish globally. Together, these plans stress on UN efforts to combat intolerance and promote peaceful coexistence. But we cannot conquer hate speech on our own. Governments, regional and multilateral organizations, the private sector and civil society, including faith communities, academia and the media, have a shared responsibility to help build peaceful, just and inclusive societies. We all have a role to play, no bystanders. This is why I come to you today with an urgent message. We must work together to foster mutual understanding, to end the tragic cycles of fear, hatred and violence, and to build the cohesive and stable societies envisioned in the Charter. Let us rise to this challenge, and let us deliver on our shared promise to current and future generations, and I thank you.

I would like to thank His Excellency, the Secretary General, for his enlightening remarks. With the delivery of his remarks, the Secretary General and the Chief de Cabinet will now depart, and that marks the closing of the first segment of this conference. Thank you. Thank you, Excellencies. We'll now move to the next segment of this conference, which is setting the scene. It's my pleasure to invite my colleague and friend, His Excellency Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, United Nations Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, to deliver his remarks.

Good morning, everybody. Your Excellency, my dear friend, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, Moroccan expatriate of Kingdom of Morocco, welcome to New York. Your Excellency, Mr. Khalil El-Rahman, President of 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Your Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, he's just left, United Nations Secretary General. My dear friend, Excellency, Mr. Chaloka Beyani, a special advisor of the Secretary General of Prevention of Genocide. Excellencies, my dear friends, distinguished trade actor and representative of civil society, dear colleagues. It's an honor to me to address this global conference on promoting inter-religion, intercultural dialogue, and tolerance in countering hate speech, jointly organized by the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Office on Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. I want to really commend the King of Morocco, and I want to commend the guidance that His Majesty King Mohammed VI give to all of us in the ninth global forum in faith, the way we should proceed. And I will quote also His Majesty King of Mohammed VI. When in FES in 2022, he said, "The lines is essential to us because it knows how to reclaim conscience of the world in the face of withdrawal into oneself. It calls for cohesion in the face of adversity and underlines the need to counter ignorance with education and rejection with dialogue. My dear friends, As co-organizer of this conference, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, UNAOC, is proud to join our partners in bringing together member states, faith leaders, civil society representatives, and experts to advance to a common objective of strengthening dialogue and respect as tools to counter hate speech and prevent division. I'm particularly pleased to acknowledge the presence of representatives of the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu communities. At a time when hatred and polarization threaten social cohesion in many parts of the world, your participation sends a powerful message that people of different faiths can work together in defense of human dignity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity. Distinguished participants, the General Assembly has repeatedly recognized the vital contribution of intercultural and inter-racial dialogue to social cohesion, peace, and development. In this context, this conference offers a timely opportunity to reflect on how dialogue and mutual understanding can further strengthen our tools to prevention, resilience, and inclusion. Since its establishment, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations has been entrusted by the international community with the mission of advancing intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The Alliance plays a leading role in fostering understanding among communities and preventing tension rooted in identity, culture, or religion. General Assembly resolutions 64/14, 69/312, explicitly recognize UNHRC mandate institutional role. Success for UN General Assembly resolution highlight and encourage the work of UNHRC in the promotion of inter-religion and intercultural dialogue. UNHRC also leads the preparation of Secretary General report on the promotion of inter-religion and intercultural dialogue, drawing on contribution from across the United Nations system. Through this crucial responsibility, we bring experience from different settings and contexts to the attention of Member States and for their deliberation. Our convening capacity gives this work a broad global reach. Over the years, UNOSC has built a broad and trusted platform for engagement. Through 11 global forums, and numerous other initiatives, UNHCR has provided a durable and trusted platform where governments can engage directly with civil society, faith leaders and religious institutions, young people, media and private sector. Translating words into action on the ground, the Alliance developed programs on education, youth, media and migration. and support the cooperation among community affected by cultural or religious tension. The true value of this effort become even more evident during periods of high tension and polarization. When the relationship between communities come under strain, established channels of dialogue can help to dispel this understanding, address grievances, build trust, enable collective response to crisis. As the United Nations Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, I place particular importance of outreach to Muslim communities, young cooperation that addresses Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination. Work is in progress, finalizing a United Nations action plan to combat Islamophobia. I will continue to collaborate with all member states to enhance global effort in addressing this scourge. In my capacity as United Nations focal point to monitor antisemitism and enhance a system-wide response, I remain concerned by the rise of antisemitic incidents, stereotypes, and conspiracy theories, and the standing support of Jewish communities that face threats, bigotry, and violence. That's why my office developed and launched in 2025 the United Nations Action Plan to enhance monitoring and response to antisemitism. I welcome, of course, I welcome all efforts by member states to translate this plan into concrete action and stand ready to collaborate with them. The fight against antisemitism demands a united and a coordinated approach across institution and stakeholder. A system-wide approach will be based on building complementarities and collective impact, rather than dispersed through duplication and overlap. Distinguished participants, today's conference should serve not only as a forum for reflection, but also as a catalyst for action. It's a reminder that much work still lies ahead. Work for religion leaders who can address harmful narratives within their communities. Work for education who can help young people recognize prejudice and manipulation. Work for the media organization and technology company that have responsibility arising for the risk of the platform. Work for the civil society to bring direct knowledge or local condition and need of community. But Don't forget also the political leader should work not to use hate speech because we are addressing here all kind of actor, the stakeholder, but we forget sometimes that some leaders are using hate speech. So that is my personal remark. It was not written in my text. But listening to all of you, I send to you this, I think, appropriate comment. I hope our discussion today will strengthen cooperation and generate practical initiatives that can be applied at the national and regional level. Only through a whole, all society approach can we effectively address the causes and consequences of hate polarization. I look forward to listening to your intervention. I thank you. Now, I...

I would like to thank His Excellency, Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos for his civilizing remarks. I would now like to give my remarks in my capacity as Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, I thank the Secretary-General for convening this global conference on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 77318 of 2023 and 79316 of 2025. I would also like to thank the Kingdom of Morocco for its longstanding commitment and support to foster interreligious and intercultural dialogue and counter and address hate speech globally. And especially to His Excellency, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco, for chairing this global conference and for being with us today. I am also profoundly appreciative to His Excellency Mr. Khalilur Rahman for his support of this very important issue from the very beginning of his tenure as President of the United Nations General Assembly. My appreciation also goes to the Under-Secretary-General and my good friend, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and United Nations Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, His Excellency Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, for co-organizing today's conference. Our offices are deeply committed to advancing peaceful and inclusive and just societies globally. And I deeply value the excellent partnership with the Alliance of Civilizations for this conference, before and beyond. Not least, I would like to welcome your excellencies, distinguished delegates and guests joining us here today from close and far, united in our collective commitment to promote a culture of peace anytime, anywhere, and to stand against incitement to hatred. Excellencies, we have just heard the High Representative's wise words on why it is important to foster interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Diversity is the quintessential nature of our societies and as such, must be protected and preserved without exception, with knowledge, understanding and dialogue. And with tackling hate speech, which insidiously penetrates our societies with the aim of destroying the value of this diversity and the bridges tying our common humanity together. Distinguished guests, hate speech is made of words. Today, words, including those that foster hatred and division, are moving faster than ever, catalysed by rapidly evolving technology. Despite evolving technology's immense potential and promise to make a positive difference, its pernicious use can do tremendous and irreversible harm. In this context, artificial intelligence is quickly gaining space in our societies, with its spurious, adverse impact on human dignity by projecting her speech exponentially more insidious and uncontrollably. Words, as we can see and have learned, can be divisive, very dangerously. Their effect can remain with us in time and space, tearing social cohesion by perpetuating social divisions and tensions and inciting violence and serious international crimes, including genocide. We saw this during the Holocaust in the Second World War, in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda against the Tutsis, and in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. And we continue to see incitement to hatred spewed every day in the brutal conflicts which inflict severe pain and suffering and normalizing dehumanization. Against this trend, the United Nations Charter reminds us to reaffirm faith in human rights and fundamental freedoms to ensure respect for human dignity. Ladies and gentlemen, hate speech is a cancer which we must all contribute to extirpate. The UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech offers several recommendations in this regard, not only to the UN, but to all actors in society. Because none of us can succeed alone, we are entwined and ego-omnis. And only by collaborating and pulling together expertise and resources can we achieve results which are truly impactful and long-lasting to the intergenerational preservation of humanity. In coordinating UN action on countering hate speech, my office is fully committed to develop, strengthen and sustain a necessary partnership between UN entities and beyond. and I'm glad to see so many societal actors whose collaboration and advocacy we consider invaluable and essential represented at this conference. To counter hate speech, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, meaningful and effective, among the many of us represented here today, is essential. not only because it can lead to identify and propagate positive messages that directly challenge and counter a rhetorical hatred and division, but also because it displays the power of unity in humanity that those propagators of hatred intend to destroy. We are here to work with you and to support you. I'm grateful to colleagues in the United Nations with whom we cooperate, collaborate, and work together to tackle the scourge of incitement to hatred globally. Allow me to express my sincere gratitude, particularly to those who are present here today, a collective presence that demonstrates a common stand and commitment to countering the scourge of hatred and incitement to hatred, notably the Department of Global Communications, UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and the UN Development Coordination Office, because countering and combating hate speech is a priority for the whole of the UN, to which we, as the United Nations, respond united as one UN. Excellencies, distinguished guests, this conference is not a dash to the finish line. It is a starting point of more powerful alliances and collaboration and advocacy against hate speech and its antecedents of misinformation and disinformation, towards a genuine and deep commitment to choose dialogue and understanding over divisions and hatred, light over darkness, and hope over despair. It is also a moment to reassert our commitment to the international human rights framework, because tackling hate speech must be done in full respect with international human rights law and standards, particularly with the right of freedom of expression, the duty and responsibility that goes with it, together with legitimate and proportionate restrictions that determine its scope on specified public interest grounds. Please do count on my official support in these important endeavours, my office is part of, and as well as the UN system, are fully committed to continuing this journey together, with commitment to UN principles, values, perseverance, and determination for a world free of hate speech and incitement to hatred. I thank you. We now move to the next section of the segment of this conference, which is the general discussion. This will be moderated by my colleague, His Excellency Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos. And at this point, we say thank you very much, His Excellency, the President of the General Assembly, who will take his leave. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Under-Secretary-General Benyamin. And I'm pleased and I'm pleased to be moderating this segment. We have 25 speakers in this morning's segment, so I will request that you could, of course, be just to the point and try to be as short as possible. Anyhow, I will start giving the floor to Her Excellency, Mr. Abdulatif bin Rashid Al-Sajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Bahrain. Your Excellency, you have the floor.

In the name.

Of Allah, most gracious, most merciful. Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, Moroccan expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco, His Excellency Nasser Bourita. President of the conference, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to express the Kingdom of Bahrain's appreciation for the Kingdom of Morocco and the UN represented in the Office on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect and the Alliance of Civilizations for holding this important global conference at a time when we have an increased need for dialogue, understanding, and addressing hate speech. Today, what brings us together goes beyond just hate speech. It is about preserving the dignity of man and preventing hate speech from becoming violence and division. Digital platforms are promoting hate speech at an incredible speed. The Kingdom of Bahrain adheres to the freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right. At the same time, we stress that such freedom should not be a pretext to incite for hate, in accordance with international human rights law and the Rabat Plan of Action. Addressing this phenomenon is a collective responsibility of governments, educational, media, and civil society institutions, in addition to digital partnerships. Your Excellencies, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa, may God preserve him and protect him, has set forth a steadfast approach that makes cultural and religious diversity a point of strength here. coexistence is a pillar for security. The international acknowledgement of this approach came when the Guinness Book of Records recorded the Kingdom of Bahrain as the highest-ranking state in terms of the houses of worship worldwide. This is not just an entry in the Guinness record. It is a confirmation that we implement our slogans, that this is a reality that we live. The Kingdom of Bahrain has translated this vision to make it international initiatives, including the International Day for Coexistence, which was adopted by the General Assembly to be celebrated on the 22nd of January every year. and International Conscience Day, and the Bin Hamad Center for Tolerance and its award, in addition to the Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration on the Freedom of Religion and Belief. Hence, His Majesty has called for an international convention to criminalize religious hate speech. That also includes racial hate speech and the misuse of digital platforms to incite for hate. Here we reiterate this call for this convention from this podium. Your Excellencies, Addressing hate speech requires international effort that goes beyond just addressing the symptoms so that we can address the root causes within communities and societies. The Kingdom of Bahrain believes that dialogue is the optimal tool to address this and that knowledge is the best cure for fanaticism and respect for human dignity is the basis that brings all religions and societies together. The Kingdom of Bahrain stresses its readiness to work with the Kingdom, with the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations, and all partners to translate the outcomes of this conference into concrete action. I thank you.

Thank you very much to the excellency, Mr. Khalifa, Mr. Khalifa. Mr. Abdulatif bin Rashid Al Tayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Bahrain. And I commend the leadership of Bahrain, His Majesty, for all the effort you are doing in this field. Now I give the floor to Her Excellency, Mr. Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State of United Arab Emirates.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the beginning, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the effort of the Kingdom of Morocco for holding this meeting. We thank the United Nations Office on the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect and UNOCA for their continued effort to promote tolerance and inter-religious dialogue. In this context, I would like to highlight the following points. First, addressing extremism and hate speech requires serious investment in tolerance and coexistence and through a comprehensive process. This includes educational curricula, government work, and international work. This is in addition to enabling religious and community women and youth and civil society leaders as well as technology companies from undertaking positive roles in this track, on this track, in the UAE. This is the model that we pursue with much determination, despite the best effort of the extremists. My country hosts more than 200 nationalities. in residence, and we have pioneering international approaches and initiatives for tolerance, interreligious and intercultural dialogue. And we have signed the document of human fraternity and the Ibrahimi House that includes representatives of the three celestially revealed religions. We need to use technology to serve these purposes. AI, digital platforms, both can contribute to inflate hate speech and extremist narratives with lightning speed. The United Arab Emirates stresses the need for joint Arab work to develop basis for the governance of these technologies, cybersecurity, exchange of information, capacity building, to guarantee that these would not be exploited or misused by terrorists and extremists. At the same time, we need to look for technology to be part of the solution and to invest in AI and emerging technologies to spread reliable information and to expand the space for tolerance, coexistence and peace. Third, As the UN undergoes its reform and as we select a new SG, we need to highlight the effort for tolerance and addressing hate speech to make this at the heart of the work of the organization and the priority of its leadership. This must be a main element in crisis management and the mandates of SPMs and PKOs. This needs to be part of the work of the UN representatives. The United Arab Emirates leads efforts to advance tolerance, peace, and security agenda that highlights the role played by fanaticism, hate speech, and extremism as it agitates and exacerbates crises. This is through an integrated framework for the different effort of this organization on this file. This would end the vicious cycle of conflicts and build more coherent and resilient societies based on the Security Council Resolution 2621. 86 on tolerance, peace and security that the UAE has co-sponsored and adopted. We continue our joint work with the Member States, the UN and experts to reach practical recommendations to address fanaticism, hate speech and to work towards prevention and peacebuilding. In closing, we support the principles of the UN Charter and translating them to steps where diversity is a means for approachment, tolerance towards a more prosperous, stable, and secure future for all. I thank you.

Minister of State of United Arab Emirates. And again, I commend the effort of Emirates, of United Arab Emirates, for what you are doing in these fields. You mentioned you promote the Security Council. I think it's the first Security Council resolution that was adopted relating to this kind of concern. And of course, the work that you are doing on ground, being in the Arab family, Abraham family houses. It's a perfect example of interrelation between inter different faiths and religion. So thank you very much. Now I give the floor to Her Excellency, Mrs. Aya Ahmed Saif Al Thani, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Qatar.

Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to extend my thanks to His Excellency, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates of the Sisterly Kingdom of Morocco for organizing this important global conference. I also thank His Excellency, Mr. Khalil al-Rahman, President of the General Assembly, and the Secretary-General general of the UN for holding this conference. Also, I thank the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention for organizing this event. The State of Qatar takes this opportunity to affirm the importance of interreligious and intercultural dialogue in confronting the alarming escalation of hate speech, intolerance, racism, and discrimination. We express, in particular, the concern over the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia and hatred against Muslims, along with accompanying discrimination, negative stereotyping, and attacks on places of worship and religious symbols, acts that cannot be justified under pretext of the freedom of expression. We affirm that combating hate speech must remain firmly grounded in the framework of international human rights law in a manner that ensures the respect for freedom of religious beliefs and the freedom of expression. We need to focus on education, entrenchment of the values of tolerance and mutual respect, as well as engagement of youth in promoting a culture of dialogue and coexistence. The Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue has, for more than two decades, continued to bring together religious leaders, academics, and representatives of civil society from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. And the 14th Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue was devoted to the theme, religions and hate speech between practice and texts, reflecting the importance of moving dialogue from a theoretical framework to practical initiatives that contribute to countering intolerance and strengthening social cohesion. We reaffirmed the interconnection between dialogue, peace, and development. In 2011, we hosted the fourth global forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilization We continue to translate this approach into initiatives that support social cohesion, peacebuilding and sustainable development. The digital dimension of hate speech cannot be overlooked. We welcome the attention given to this issue by the SG's most recent report. AI offers significant opportunities, but at the same time poses new challenges related to the speed and scale at which harmful content and disinformation can spread. Here, young people should be empowered to be active participants in this response, a goal to which national initiatives such as the Doha Debate Center, one of our initiatives, contribute by strengthening critical thinking skills, dialogue, and constructive engagement with different points of views. In closing, the State of Qatar affirms that combating Hate speech is a collective responsibility, and we look forward to today's discussions leading to practical steps and tangible outcomes. The State of Qatar renews its commitment to continuing to work with the UN and all partners to promote dialogue, tolerance, coexistence, and peace, I think.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Mrs. Alia Al Mersai Al Thani, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Qatar. Thank you again to Qatar that has been from the beginning very active in this kind of efforts. So thank you very much. Now I give the floor to Her Excellency, Mr. Atmet Yigcit, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Turkey. Ambassador, you have the floor.

Excellencies, I thank the Kingdom of Morocco, the Office on Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations for convening this important conference. History teaches us that atrocities do not begin with weapons. They begin with words, with narratives that strip people of their dignity and portray entire communities as a threat. Countering hate speech is therefore a matter of prevention. Today, this challenge is growing in scale and speed. Social media algorithms amplify hateful content within seconds. Artificial intelligence makes disinformation cheaper and more convincing. Eventually, such trends erode the very fabric of cohesion, deepen mistrust among different religious and cultural communities, and threaten international peace and security. Among the most alarming trends is the rise of Islamophobia. normalization of anti-Muslim rhetoric in political discourse deeply offend millions. We are equally concerned by hatred against people of any faith or belief. Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of free societies, but it is not a license to incite discrimination, hostility, or violence. Nor we can ignore the dehumanizing language that has accompanied the tragedy in Gaza. Excellencies, Turkey's approach rests on three pillars. The first is dialogue. In 2005, together with Spain, we launched the Alliance of Civilizations to promote our shared humanity, mutual understanding among cultures and faiths in face of rising hatred. Since then, the alliance has become one of the United Nations' leading platforms for fostering dialogue and combating discrimination and hate speech. Education and youth engagement remains at the heart of this effort. We are pleased to see that significant progress achieved by the Alliance in terms of the scope of its activities as well as supporters and outreach. The second pillar is responsibility, including in the digital space. Online platforms must apply transparent and consistent content moderation without double standards and in line with international human rights law. Third pillar is institutional follow-up. We contributed to the OIC resolution by the UN General Assembly designating 15 March as the International Day to Combat Against Islamophobia. In our capacity as chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, Turkey supports the work of the UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, and we look forward to the swift development of a UN plan of action to counter Islamophobia, complementing the existing frameworks. Mr. Chair, this conference should not be a one-day event. It should mark the start of sustained, collective action. Turkey stands ready to work with all partners toward promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech. In fact, coexistence is not an abstraction for Turkey. It is lived experience. Mosques, churches, and synagogues standing side by side for centuries on our land is a testimony of this fact. I thank you again.

Thank you very much, Her Excellency, Mr. Atmacagil, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Turkey, and thank you to Turkey, co-sponsor of our alliance, for your permanent and standing support to the alliance and to all the efforts in this field. So thank you, thank you very much. Now I give the floor to His Excellency, Mr. Abdullah Al-Wazir, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. At the outset, we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude for the Kingdom of Morocco, represented by His Excellency, Mr. Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Permanent Representative of Morocco, Mr. Omar Hilali. And we thank the UN, represented by Mr. Shlomo Kabiani and Mr. Miguel Mouratinos and their teams, we thank you for this dialogue on promoting interreligious and intercultural tolerance, encountering hate speech. We express our deep concern regarding increasing Islamophobia all over the world. This includes Islamophobic rhetoric and discrimination and abuses that target religious icons and symbols and sites. This kind of hate does not only violate fundamental human rights. This also targets collective harmony and international peace. Targeting people or communities on the basis of religion is completely unacceptable and must be addressed with the same level of strictness with which we address all other kinds of hate. Hate speech, whether online or outside the internet, feeds polarization and threatens social cohesion. And at its most dangerous, it paves the way for committing atrocities, including genocide and ethnic cleansing. Therefore, combating hate speech is not only a moral duty, but also a key pillar among the pillars of international peace and security. Excellencies, the Kingdom has made tolerance and moderation and coexistence the crux of our international engagement. In this regard, we have implemented a number of initiatives, including hosting the International Forum on or for the UN AOC in 2025, which has enhanced dialogue between cultures and combating hate speech and radicalization. And through Abdullah Abdul Aziz International Center, We continue to increase a dialogue-based approach to combating hate speech and settling disputes. We also invest in enabling youth through different international and national initiatives to respect cultural and religious diversity. We emphasize that freedom of speech should not be misused or used as a pretext to attack religions and holy symbols. In conclusion, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its firm commitment to enhancing intercultural dialogue and combating all forms of hate speech and preventing incitement to violence and enhancing international initiatives that increase mutual respect. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much to Her Excellency, Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Wazir, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Again, I have the opportunity to commend the role of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the way you hosted the 11th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations and the Riyadh Declaration, where you refer in this Riyadh Declaration some elements on how to combat hate speech. So thank you for your speech. Now I give the floor to His Excellency, Mr. Rui Vinhas, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Portugal.

Vinhas. Excellencies, colleagues, Portugal welcomes the convening of this global conference at a time when hate speech, intolerance and polarization are increasingly undermining social cohesion, fueling discrimination and threatening peace. We also thank the conveners, Morocco, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and UNAOC. Colleagues, hate speech does not emerge in a vacuum. It thrives where dialogue is absent, where differences are portrayed as threats, and where stereotypes replace understanding. Countering it requires more than condemning hateful narratives. It requires investing in the conditions that make those narratives less likely to take root. Dialogue, education, mutual respect, and meaningful engagement across religious, cultural, and social divides. My country firmly believes that interreligious and intercultural dialogue is not simply an expression of tolerance. It is an instrument for conflict prevention, social cohesion, and sustainable peace. Our experience demonstrates the value of creating spaces where diversity is not merely accommodated, but actively brought together. Portugal was honored to host the 10th Global Forum of UNAOC, bringing together governments, international organizations, civil society, youth, and religious and cultural leaders around the common objective of building more inclusive and resilient societies. We are also very proud to host two institutions with a longstanding international commitment to dialogue and pluralism. The Kai Seed, whose work places interreligious and intercultural dialogue at the center of peacebuilding and social cohesion, and the Imamat Ismaili, whose presence in Portugal reflects a longstanding commitment to pluralism, human dignity, knowledge, and service to society. These experiences reinforce a simple lesson. Dialogue must be continuous, inclusive, and rooted in communities. It cannot be activated only after tensions have escalated. We encourage practical action at several levels. First, we must strengthen education that develops critical thinking, media literacy, and respect for religious and cultural diversity, particularly among young people. Second, we should support religious and community leaders, women, and youth as partners in preventing intolerance and challenging narratives that stigmatize communities. Third, we must strengthen partnerships between governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, technology companies, and faith-based organizations. No single actor can address hate speech alone. At the same time, our response must remain firmly anchored in international human rights law, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression. Countering hate speech should not become a pretext for restricting legitimate expression, dissent or peaceful debate. Our objective must be to protect human dignity while preserving the space for open and pluralistic societies. We are ready to do our part. In an increasingly interconnected world, diversity is a reality. Dialogue is a choice, tolerance is a responsibility, and building societies in which differences can coexist peacefully is a shared commitment. I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Mr. Rui Viegas, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Portugal. And also Portugal is a leading country in this kind of effort. Your center of KIC, the Center of Imanat, the Ismail Center in Lisbon are complementing the effort of the whole society and government in Portugal. Thank you very much. So now I give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ernesto Saaveron Guzman, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Cuba.

Thank you, Mr. President. President, we thank you for convening this global conference that is taking place in an international context marked by profound divisions, conflicts, intolerance, and discourse that seek to present cultural, religious or political differences as reasons for confrontation. Dialogue between religions and cultures is not just a tool for promoting understanding, it is an essential condition for building truly peaceful, inclusive and just societies. Combating hate speeches hate speech rather, requires much more than just condemning it. requires confronting its root causes, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, exclusion, inequality, disinformation and intolerance. The United Nations has recognised that hate speech can feed discrimination, hostility and violence. and has established intercultural and interreligious dialogue as some of the fundamental tools that can be used to counter it. For Cuba, the promotion of a culture of peace must be inextricably linked to respect for the UN Charter, international law, sovereignty and the independence of states, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes and rejection of all forms of discrimination. In this context, we reiterate our strongest condemnation of the multidimensional, unprecedented war that the United States is applying against Cuba, strengthening their strategy of regimes change and applying a genocidal collective punishment. combining an extreme strengthening of the embargo with a brutal energy siege that is equivalent, due to its effects, of a naval blockade. In addition to all of this, we have dangerous public threats of direct military aggression against Cuba, alleging false and ridiculous pretexts. We reiterate that a military adventure against Cuba would have harmful consequences not only for my country and for the United States, but also for peace, security and stability in our hemisphere and across the world. These actions are incompatible with the spirit of dialogue, cooperation, solidarity and peaceful coexistence that this conference seeks to promote. Cuba reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and to international cooperation as essential ways to deal with common challenges. We are in favor of a culture of peace that replaces confrontation by understanding and imposition with cooperation and hatred with solidarity. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba, thank you for your statement and for Cuba's commitment to a cultural peace, dialogue, and understanding.

The floor to the Excellency, Mr. Asim Tihar Ahmed, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Pakistan. You have the floor, Ambassador.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Excellencies. I would like to appreciate the Kingdom of Morocco the UN Alliance of Civilizations and Office of the Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect for organizing today's global conference. We acknowledge the presence of distinguished ministers and appreciate their thoughtful remarks. Extremism's hate speech is an assault against our shared humanity. It disrupts social fabric, militates against human dignity, and dehumanizes entire groups. The digital revolution has accentuated threats posed by this menace. Online platforms amplify hatred, peddle disinformation, and provoke violence against fellow humans, particularly vulnerable communities. And history bears ample testimony to the fact that wrongs of hate speech don't always remain confined to one place. They reverberate across national boundaries, dragging communities and countries to the brink of genocide and atrocity crimes. Pakistan remains concerned that hate speech continues to run amok in our world today. It has proliferated into mainstream discourse. Identity is weaponized. vulnerable communities are marginalized, and hate crimes are mainstreamed. Islamophobia is one of the most virulent forms of hate speech, evident in attacks on Muslim lives, identity, and symbols, desecration of mosques, and curbs on religious freedoms. At some places, Islamophobia has forged a symbiotic relation with local power structures and vested interests, turning it into a profitable industry. Pakistan echoes the call by Member States for fully implementing relevant UN General Assembly resolutions, the UN strategy and plan of action on hate speech, and for fostering a genuine spirit of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. It is the only panacea. to defeat the flawed mindset which incites violence and discrimination against fellow humans. We also appreciate efforts of the High Representative, the UN AOC, to finalize the UN Plan of Action to Combat Islamophobia, which upon finalization would complement the existing UN initiatives to combat all forms of hate speech. As a firm defender of human dignity, equality, and freedom, Pakistan shall continue its engagement with the member states and the United Nations to continue our fight against hate speech for posterity, our cherished values, and for our civilization. I thank you.

Thank you very much to His Excellency, Mr. Asim Iqbal Ahmed. Ambassador Permanent Representative of Pakistan for his contribution. And at the same time, I can assure you that we are working on the UN plan for combating Islamophobia, and I hope we could advance as soon as possible. So now I give the floor to His Excellency, Mrs. Nasilah Binti Osman, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Malaysia. You have the floor.

Mr. Chair, Malaysia thanks the Secretary-General for convening this timely conference and the co-organizers, the Kingdom of Morocco, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. As a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural country, Malaysia knows from experience that diversity must be continuously nurtured. Social harmony is not a static achievement. It requires sustained dialogue, mutual respect and the willingness of all communities to understand and engage with one another. Our approach is anchored in our federal constitution, our national principles, the Rukun Negara, and our national unity policy, founded on the principle of unity in diversity. This commitment is further advanced through the Ministry of National Unity's strategic plan 2026-2030, which emphasizes social integration, safe and inclusive spaces for interaction, empowered communities, and early detection and intervention. These principles are translated into practical action. Through the Inter-Religious Harmony Committee, representatives of Malaysia's diverse religious communities have a structured platform to engage with the government and with one another. At the community level, initiatives such as Harmony Dialogue provide safe spaces for communities to interact directly, identify shared values, and address misunderstandings and prejudices before they develop into wider tensions. Mr. Chair, this task has become more challenging in the digital age. Yes, technology has brought people together, but it has also enabled misinformation, prejudice and hateful narratives to spread rapidly and reach wider audiences. My country believes that hate speech cannot be addressed only through legislation and enforcement. Sustainable prevention must also address the conditions that allow prejudice, hostility, misinformation, and extremist narratives to take root. This requires investment in digital literacy and critical thinking, responsible communication, positive narratives, education, and community engagement. These efforts cannot be undertaken by governments alone. Religious leaders, civil society, young people, educators, media, communities, and technology platforms all have an important role to play. A whole of society approach is essential to building trust, strengthening social cohesion, and ensuring that our differences do not become sources of division. Our experience has taught us that diversity, when supported by dialogue, inclusive institutions, and shared responsibility, can be a source of strength and a foundation for lasting peace. In conclusion, Malaysia remains committed to working with all partners to strengthen inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and respect, and to build societies that are resilient against hatred, intolerance and division. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Director-General. Mrs. Najirah binti Osman, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Malaysia. And thank you, Malaysia, for the permanent constructive work on these issues. So now I give the floor to Excellency Mr. Karoli Martin Ngonga, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Rwanda. You have the floor, Ambassador.

Thank you, Excellence Chair. Thank you for giving me the floor. I thank the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations for convening this conference. Excellence Chair, polarization and mistrust are growing, while social media and artificial intelligence give hateful narratives unprecedented reach and speed. But technology is only part of the problem. We must confront the root causes, including political manipulation, irresponsible governance, and the exploitation of identity and grievances for political gain. Political leadership matters. Leaders set the tone in our societies. When they challenge hateful narratives, they can prevent division from taking root. But when they use identity, fear or historical grievances to mobilize political support, they give those narratives legitimacy. Preventing hate speech, therefore, requires more than good policies. It requires responsible leadership and political courage not to benefit from division. Excellence Chair, Rwanda speaks to this issue from experience. We know that genocide does not start on the day people are killed. In the years preceding the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, discrimination and dehumanization were progressively normalized while propaganda prepared the ground for violence. Radio and newspaper were later used to incite and mobilize people to kill. In just 100 days, more than 1 million people were killed. For UNDR, therefore, prevention means acting before hatred becomes acceptable and before words translate into violence. Excellence Chair, three points are critical. First, we must recognize early warning signs, particularly when dehumanizing language is normalized, identity is politically manipulated, or misinformation systematically targets communities. Second, dialogue must be matched by accountability. We cannot condemn hate speech internationally while tolerating or benefiting from it politically at home. Those who incite hatred must be held accountable, not legitimized or rewarded. Third, prevention must keep pace with the technology, including hate expressed through local languages and coded narratives that automated systems may miss. Excellence Chair. Finally, Rwanda learned at an enormous cost where unchecked hatred can lead. That history compels us to speak when people are targeted for who they are, the language they speak, their beliefs, or how they look. Silence for political convenience cannot be an option. Prevention requires courage, political responsibility, and accountability, and above all, the will to act before words become violence. Thank you for your kind attention.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Ambassador Mr. Karoli, Martin Oga, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Rwanda. Yes, unfortunately, your country suffer the horror of this hate speech, and we have to follow your advice and guidance. So thank you for your intervention and your contribution today. So now I give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ryan And Ambassador, you have the floor.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, Estonia aligns itself with a statement of the European Union.

Allow me to start by thanking the Kingdom of Morocco.

And our UN partners for bringing us together for this very important discussion that concerns all of us.

So we all face the same question, how do we build societies where differences are met with dialogue rather?

Than division.

For Estonia, the response must be firmly rooted in human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Countering hate speech must go hand in hand with protecting freedom of expression.

We must distinguish between offensive or unpopular opinions and speech that incites discrimination, hostility, or violence.

In Estonia, the government, media organizations, and civil society work together to raise awareness of hate speech, discrimination, and tolerance. Our aim is to prevent racial hatred and hostility while promoting fact-based and balanced public debate. This cooperation is particularly important in the digital environment where hateful narratives can spread very, very quickly. We therefore need responsible digital spaces where governments, platforms, civil society, and users work together.

While strengthening media literacy and the ability to recognize manipulation, disinformation, and AI-generated content.

Particularly when used to amplify hateful narratives.

Estonia is also taking practical steps to address these challenges.

Our police and border guard boards, web police officers, respond to reports of online.

Bullying and hate speech, working with online and social media platforms in accordance with the European Union Digital Services Act.

Beyond responding to hate speech online, Estonia places strong emphasis on prevention.

Through initiatives such as AI Leap, we are equipping young people with the skills and knowledge.

To use artificial intelligence responsibly and critically.

Human rights education also helps young people understand equality, dignity, non-discrimination, and respect for others.

Together, digital literacy and human rights education help build resilient and inclusive societies.

Preventing hate speech starts with education, dialogue, and mutual understanding. Interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance are essential to building resilient and inclusive societies where diversity is met with respect rather than division.

I thank you.

Thank you very much for your intervention, Your Excellency, Mr. Rein Tammsaar, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Estonia, and for the engagement of Estonia in this action. So now I give the floor to Your Excellency, Mr. Tarek Al-Banai, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Kuwait. Ambassador, you have the floor. Ah, sorry. No. Tim Larsen, Ambassador Permanent of Australia.

Thank you very much indeed, High Representative, and I thank the Kingdom of Morocco for convening us, along with the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. and of course the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Everybody should live safely, proud of who they are, whatever their faith, ethnicity or culture. Dialogue across faiths and cultures builds trust, strengthens social cohesion, counters hate speech and helps prevent violence. This is urgent. Hate speech, Islamophobia and antisemitism are rising globally as conflicts and geopolitical tensions deepen mistrust within and between our communities. Australia has three messages. First, we unequivocally condemn hatred and discrimination, both at home and abroad. Second, we are acting to confront hate, consistent with international human rights law. We are progressing recommendations from Australia's special envoys to combat Islamophobia and antisemitism. We have strengthened our hate crime laws, legislated powers to refuse visas to individuals spreading hate, and launched our national hate crimes database. Digital technologies can enable the creation amplification and spread of hate rapidly and at scale. We are developing a digital duty of care to strengthen online safety protections for all Australians. Australia's strength lies in our ability to engage across faiths and cultures and, when we must disagree, to do so peacefully and respectfully. Third, combating hatred requires sustained national effort and global commitment. A whole-of-society approach across governments, communities, faith groups, educators and digital platforms is essential to prevention. For this reason, Australia provides multi-year funding to the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and has committed further funding to the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect to support global prevention efforts. I thank you.

Thank you very much to the Excellency, Mr. James Martin Larsen, Ambassador, Permanent Representative. And congratulations, Cheloka, that you received funds. I hope they will send something for us also. Thank you. Now, Tiomoko Morico, Ambassador of the Cote d'Ivoire. Mr. Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. President, Cote d'Ivoire welcomes the holding of this global conference on the fight against hate speech, and we reaffirm our commitment to the peaceful coexistence of cultures, religions, and the UN Charter. Mr. President, in July 2019, when resolution 73/328 was adopted on hate speech, we committed to promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and to strengthening multilateral cooperation to better fight against hate speech in full respect of international human rights law and norms relevant thereto. Thanks to the pooling of ongoing efforts by the international community, significant progress has been made, in particular through the adoption in 2021 of Resolution 75309 on the fight against hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations, including online, as well as the proclamation by the General Assembly of 18 June every year as the International Day for the Fight Against Hate Speech. Nevertheless, Cote d'Ivoire notes with concern the alarming spread of hate speech and the rise in racism, that's taking place across the world, as well as intolerance and discrimination based on identity. These scourges are amplified by misuse of new technology and ICT and AI. For my country, interreligious dialogue and intercultural dialogue, education and awareness raising are essential for the promotion of social cohesion, peace and development. That's why, true to our tradition of hospitality, tolerance and respect for diversity, Cote d'Ivoire has made coexistence and national cohesion priorities of our public action. We are supporting different faiths in respectful dialogue with one another and encouraging so-called alliance de plaisanterie, these fun traditional alliances that exist between people living in our country and beyond our borders in order to eradicate racial profiling. Furthermore, my country has adopted a text criminalizing discriminatory acts has undertaken several reforms, in particular the implementation of the National Council for Human Rights, the High-level Authority for Audiovisual Communication and Media of the Republic, and the platform to counter cybercrime, and local awareness-raising committees and programmes for social cohesion to contribute to awareness-raising among populations. President, by way of conclusion, Cote d'Ivoire reaffirms the fact that we stand ready to contribute to international efforts to promote cultural peace, tolerance and respect for human dignity. We call for a strengthening of international cooperation in order to build more inclusive, just societies that are more respectful of the dignity of each and every human being. And we support this initiative. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador. Your Excellency, Mr. Tiemoko Morico, Ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire, thank you for your statement and thank you for Cote d'Ivoire's commitment on all of these fronts.

To Ambassador Riad Mansour, Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine. Riad Mansour, Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, dear friend Maratinos. Hate speech is not merely about words. Dehumanizing language creates an environment in which discrimination and violence can be normalized, tolerated, and even justified. This is why we must confront all forms of hatred and dehumanization consistently and without exception. This conference reminds us that countering hate speech requires more than condemnation. It requires joint action. The State of Palestine will continue doing its part in this regard. Palestine is a land imbued with history, faith, and profound sacred significance for the three monotheistic religions, and the place millions of Palestinians call home. a place where today an entire nation suffers. The conflict it suffers from is not religious. It is political, and as such, it requires a political solution, one that ends the Israeli occupation, the illegal occupation, and fulfills the rights of the Palestinian people, leading to shared peace, security, and prosperity for all. Jerusalem belongs to the heritage of humanity. The historic status quo has been the guardian of this heritage for centuries. It is under assault. Attacks against religious sites, worshippers, or members of the clergy must never be tolerated. Excellencies, religion can be invoked to defend human dignity and reject hatred. but it can also be manipulated to justify violence, supremacy, exclusion, or the denial of another people's right. Here are the principles we need to abide by. Reject political claims that are presented as divine entitlement. Combat attempts to use a religion to justify crimes or shield perpetrators. Combat attempts to hold an entire people or the followers of a faith responsible for the actions of a state or an organization or an individual. In short, all forms of prejudice and hatred must be confronted while always distinguishing legitimate advocacy for human rights and criticism of violations of international law from such hatred. excellencies, interfaith and intercultural dialogue can make a meaningful contribution to peace when grounded in international law and our shared humanity. Because ultimately, no people are less human than another. No child's life is less sacred.

Than another, and no faith can be manipulated to deny another human being their dignity.

And rights, and I thank you.

Thank you very much, the Ambassador, Your Excellency, and Riad Mansour for his intervention and for his commitment to continue to confront all form of hate and look for peace, understanding, and respect. And thank you for this culture of peace. So now I give the floor to Her Excellency, Mrs. Laura Dupuy Lasserre, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Uruguay. Madam, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. We express our particular thanks to the organizers of this conference. Hate speech, which constitutes incitement of discrimination, hostility or violence, is recognized as a risk factor that can lead to the commission of hate crimes, that in the gravest cases can even lead to genocide and other atrocious crimes, which of course have devastating consequences for people, the groups affected and society as a whole, and for the whole of humanity. they're often due to identity and in this case religious identity that leads to racial and cultural stereotypes. Today, digital platforms, in particular social networks and artificial intelligence, are used increasingly to disseminate hate speech, xenophobia and intolerance, and ultimately to spread divisive messages, false information and mis- and disinformation on occasion. In this regard, Uruguay appreciates the commitments made by Member States of the United Nations in the Pact for the Future of 2024, as well as the UN Strategy and Plan of Action to Fight Against Hate Speech, the Rabat Plan of Action of 2012 on the Prohibition of Advocacy of National, Racial or Religious Hatred that Constitutes Incitement to Discrimination, Hostility and Violence, the Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in majority Muslim communities, and several other instances. Also, the UN plan to fight against violence, antisemitism, and responding to this phenomenon of 2025. And we are looking forward to the future UN plan of action to combat Islamophobia. Fighting against hatred in all of its forms is a fundamental priority for the United Nations, and this is in line with the UN Charter and with the respect for the human rights of all people. This endeavor now is more urgent than ever before in a context of an alarming spread and rise of hate speech and growing global trends of intolerance and discrimination due to identity. Uruguay reaffirms its commitment to promoting and supporting intercultural and interreligious dialogue to boost social cohesion and build peace, eradicating religious discrimination and combating racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia in all of its manifestations. Uruguay is a secular country where religious expressions are understood as an expression of people's individual conscience. for all people that live in our country. And although this being secular doesn't mean that aren't situations of hate speech due to religious reasons, a clear example of coexistence between people of different beliefs, creeds, and religions is possible. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uruguay, Ms. Laura Dupuy Lasserre, thank you for your statement and to Uruguay's commitment to contributing to fostering an environment of dialogue and mutual respect. Thank you. I now give the floor to His Excellency, Mr. Cheikh Na Moulaye Zene, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mauritania. Mr. Ambassador, you have the floor.

In the name of God, the most full, the compassionate. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Mr. Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary General. Mr. Miguel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Shaloka Bihani, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Our dear friend, Mr. Moratinos, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, I wish to thank the United Nations Office for the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect, and we thank the Kingdom of Morocco for their organization of this event and for coordinating it this is a delicate matter hate speech is spreading on a large scale and is causing conflict and war across the world and it's for this reason that we must all take measures in order to counter this scourge hate speech and systematic incitation of hatred against different groups constitute a major cause of violence and crises across the world. And this is particularly the case in occupied Arab territories and particularly Gaza. It's for this reason that we must fight against hate speech. in all of its forms and manifestations. And this is a priority and enshrined in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We welcome all initiatives and all conferences held to deal with this matter. In particular, the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly to promote tolerance and to fight against discrimination, and also resolution 75309 of the General Assembly. which is an extremely important resolution to counter hate speech and intolerance, in particular in the digital realm, proclaiming the 18th of June International Day to Fight Against Hate Speech. There's also resolution 77318 highlighting the global concerns about the increasing spread of hate speech including on social media to stop attacks against places of worship and other religious sites and to counter hate speech we require governments, international organizations, and civil society and other stakeholders to make efforts to counter the digital threats in particular. And this includes artificial intelligence, which can spread misinformation and disinformation, exacerbating conflicts. We therefore need to halt the use of this technology for harmful purposes. Under the auspices of the President of the Republic of our country, we have launched a campaign to strengthen dialogue between different religions and culture. In Nouakchott, we hosted a dialogue to fight against hate speech, and we have adopted an approach and a strategy that are grounded in dialogue. The idea is to engage in discussions, dialogue. We also held a round of discussions with leaders and youth who do not subscribe to this fanatic ideology. They've been fully integrated into society thanks to this dialogue. What's more, a round of talks took place during the month of Ramadan between the ulema, scientists. There was that dialogue in March 2026, and thanks to this approach, My country is an oasis of stability and peace. We have unique and very rich experience in the Sahel region. My country, following the instructions of the President, is promoting social cohesion and working to eradicate exclusion and precarity. Dialogue is the founding principle of these actions. The President has engaged in dialogue between different parties in particular, dialogue with the opposition, and the idea of this is to insist on the importance of inclusion. All parties participated in this, political parties and stakeholders who work on human rights, and the goal of this is to promote social cohesion and to promote human rights and different individual and collective freedoms. By way of conclusion, I'd like to thank all of the participants in this meeting, the organizers. This is such an important conference. May the peace and blessing of God be with you. Thank you very much.

Ambassador of Mauritania, Mr. Cheikhna Moulaye Zene, welcome. You've just arrived in New York. You're new here, so thank you very much. And we thank Mauritania and your president for all of your commitments made. to progress on this file. And I think we can certainly continue to count on this dialogue between cultures and civilizations in Mauritania and in the subregion in general. So we're very grateful to you. Thank you.

The floor to His Excellency, Mr. Dionicio da Costa da Brito Soares, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste.

Mr. Chair, Excellencies. Timor-Leste thank the Secretary-General for convening this conference and commends Morocco and the United Nations co-organizers for advancing this dialogue. For Timor-Leste, countering hatred is rooted in our journey from conflict towards reconciliation. We have learned that lasting peace requires institutions that protect rights and relationships that build trust. Our national efforts reflect this conviction. Our constitution guarantees freedom of conscience, religion, and worship, prohibits religious discrimination, and recognizes different religious denominations. Our penal code addresses organized propaganda inciting racial or religious discrimination, hatred or violence, or hate speech. These provisions lay the foundation for protection consistent with human rights and due process. Beyond legislations, Timor-Leste has embraced human fraternity. In May 2022, our Parliament unanimously endorsed the Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. September that year, our national institutions launched the Human Fraternity Center. President Zuze Ramos-Horta also committed to promoting the document's inclusion in schools' curricula. These commitments expresses our determination to make mutual respect part of public life. Our experience also reminds us that laws alone cannot overcome prejudice. Religious leaders, educators, women, and young people are essential partners in sustaining dialogue and preventing division. Excellencies, digital platforms and artificial intelligence can accelerate hatred through fabricated content that exploits fear. Communities using indigenous languages must also benefit from effective safeguards. Timor-Leste therefore calls for stronger human rights education and digital literacy, community reporting channels linked to timely protection, independent journalism and accessible platform complaints procedures, and technical assistance to address hatred amplified by artificial intelligence. The United Nations strategy and plan of action on hate speech, alongside the Rabat and Fes plans of action, should guide our cooperation. Every measure must uphold freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. Countering hatred speech and hatred in general must never justify silencing legitimate criticism or peaceful dissent. Political and religious leaders must lead by example rejecting incitement consistently and defending the dignity of every person. Timor-Leste remains committed to working with the United Nations and Member States to translate reconciliation and human fraternity into practical protection and lasting peace.

I thank you.

Thank you very much to Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste. Mr. Dionisio da Costa Babo Soares, and thank you for Timor-Leste for having this leading role in combating hate speech. I know that your president, that the way he's been awarded the prize of human fraternity is one of the key leaders that combat hate speech in practice and in all the fields. So thank you for your intervention. Now I give the floor to Excellency Archbishop Christophe Zachia El-Kassis, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See. You have, Archbishop, you have the floor.

Mr. Chair, my delegation would like to thank the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect for organizing today's conference. The Holy See reaffirms that every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and possesses an inviolable dignity that no ideology, ideology of hatred, or expression of contempt may diminish. From this foundational truth flows a moral imperative to reject every form of intolerance, discrimination, and hate speech that wounds the human family and undermines the conditions for peaceful coexistence. Hate speech, whether directed against individuals or communities on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, nationality, or any other characteristic, contradicts the commandment to love one's neighbor. poisons public discourse, inflames division, and too often prepares the ground for violence and persecution. As Pope Leo XIV says, the first contribution we can make towards a more humane civilization is to be mindful of our words. Words have enormous power, something we experience in our daily interactions. By disarming words, the first steps are taken to weave the fabric of social peace and foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance, and respect for differences. However, peace cannot be woven by words alone. True tolerance is not indifference or relativism. It is the active recognition of the equal dignity of every person and the freedom of conscience that belongs to each. It requires a patient effort of dialogue, mutual understanding, and the rejection of stereotypes. In this spirit, the Holy See promotes interreligious and intercultural dialogue as an essential path toward overcoming prejudice and building a better world for all. Mr. Chair, freedom of expression is a fundamental right that must be protected. Yet this freedom carries corresponding responsibilities. Speech that deliberately incites hatred or violence cannot claim the protection of liberty. Rather, it erodes the very conditions in which genuine freedom can flourish. Pope Leo XIV insists Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred. Let us free it from aggression. We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice. Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world. Disarmed and disarming communication allows us to share a different view of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Archbishop Christophe Sahia El-Kassis, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of Holy See. Thank you for your intervention. And thank you for the guidance of moral authority of His Holiness, the Pope, Leon 14th, in the encyclical, Magnificat Humanitas, and the word he's guided all of us to combat hate speech. So now I give the floor to the permanent observer, Ambassador, Mr. Hamed Al-Bayeh, of OIC. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, USG Miguel Muratino. Let me thank the organizers of this global event on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance. I'm pleased to present the OIC perspectives at this gathering. It is now well recognized that hate speech contributes to discrimination and violence and other atrocities, including genocide. Its consequences can be devastating for individuals, communities, and societies. It is sad to note that hate speech, discrimination, and intolerance based on religion and belief is on the rise. As one of the major objectives of promoting the culture of peace, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has accorded greater priority to combating the growing phenomenon of hate speech. There's no doubt that interreligious and intercultural dialogue play a significant role in countering hateful narratives, preventing discrimination, and promoting peaceful coexistence. At the core of interreligious dialogue is the constant efforts aimed at building trust while challenging stereotypes and promoting respect and dignity. In this context, The observance and commemoration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, based on the UNGA resolution 76/254 of 15 March 2022, is in tune with the objectives of this global event. The commemoration of this annual event on combating Islamophobia has continued to mobilize national, regional, and global stakeholders within the process of promoting and supporting intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, tolerance, culture of peace, and international understanding. In recent times, the alarming rise of Islamophobia has been largely traced to the multiplicity of political crises, socioeconomic inequalities, and indeed, the abuse of the digital platforms, social media, and artificial intelligence. Consequently, there is an urgent need to break this vicious cycle. This requires sustained efforts to counter hate speech in all its forms, promote accurate and responsible public discourse, and strengthen interreligious and intercultural dialogue as a means of fostering mutual understanding, respect, and peaceful coexistence. Accordingly, the task ahead is to work on an action-oriented plan towards addressing those old and imagined manifestation of Islamophobia, such as online and offline hate speech, xenophobia, physical attacks, desecration of holy books, and religious intolerance. This is within a comprehensive strategy of promoting intercultural and interreligious dialogue, strengthening social cohesion, and addressing the root cause of conflicts, such as religious discrimination, racism, hostility, and violence. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation remains committed to working with states, international organizations, and civil society to combat Islamophobia and all forms of hatred. The OIC has expanded its partnership and initiatives by engaging with technology companies to address online hate speech. The organization has also been working with educational institutions on anti-bias curricula and have been collaborating with governments to strengthen protective legislation. Going forward, all governments, international and faith-based organizations, media, digital platforms, and civil society must turn commitment into concrete action through stronger legal protections, responsible digital governance, genuine interfaith dialogue, and sustained efforts to promote tolerance and mutual understanding. Meaningful action against hate speech requires all relevant stakeholders to join hands in building more peaceful, inclusive, and resilient societies. This should be the major takeaway from this conference. I thank you for your kind attention.

Thank you very much to the Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the OIC, Her Excellency Mr. Hamid Hamid Al-Olojer. And be sure that we thank you for the good cooperation with the Alliance of the Sahel and a special envoy to combat Islamophobia. We are working together to really develop the joint plan to combat Islamophobia. Now I give the floor to Mr. Mohamed Helal, Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt. You have the floor, sir.

Muchas gracias. Thank you, dear Your Excellency, High Representative Moratinos, and Your Excellency, Ambassador Hilal. Through you, we'd like to extend our warmest greetings to His Excellency, Minister Nasser Borita, and also greetings to you, Mr. Special Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide. Excellencies, Egypt welcomes the convening of the Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance. and countering hate speech and expresses its deep appreciation to the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect for organizing this timely gathering. The alarming rise of hate speech, intolerance, and incitement to hatred represents a growing threat to peaceful and inclusive societies. Digital technologies and social media have further amplified hateful narratives, allowing them to spread across borders at unprecedented speed and scale. Egypt firmly believes that interreligious dialogue and intercultural dialogue are indispensable to preventing intolerance, confronting extremist narratives, and strengthening social cohesion. Such dialogue should foster genuine mutual understanding and respect. Strategies to counter hate speech should address its root causes, strengthen social cohesion, and avoid approaches that stigmatize particular religions, cultures, or communities. Egypt's experience demonstrates the importance of translating these values into sustained action. Al-Azhar al-Sharif has also played a prominent role internationally in promoting moderation and building bridges among religions and cultures through different platforms and inter-religious dialogue. In parallel, the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism monitors and analyzes extremist discourse and online content in 13 languages, working to correct misconceptions exploited by extremist groups and to promote a culture of moderation and tolerance. Egypt attaches particular importance to addressing all forms and manifestations of religious hatred and intolerance without selectivity or double standards. We remain deeply concerned by the persistence of discrimination and incitement to hatred and stress the importance of promoting respect for religious and cultural diversity. Egypt especially commends the efforts of Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, for advancing dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence, and in strengthening the alliance as a platform for building bridges across cultures and religions. We further welcome his efforts as the UN Special Envoy for Combating Islamophobia, and look forward to continuing our close cooperation in translating our shared commitment to concrete initiatives. Finally, countering Combating hate speech requires much more than responding to hatred after it emerges. It requires sustained investment in prevention through education, responsible religious discourse, youth engagement, digital literacy, interreligious and intercultural cooperation. Muchas gracias. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mohamed Hala, Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt, and thank you for your kind and very important word you pronounced at the same time for the role of Egypt. I'm really being personally impressed by the observatory of to monitor hate speech, and you are doing a fantastic job on that. Thank you very much. So now I give the floor to Mr. Fayez Al-Enzi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Kuwait. You have the floor.

In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful, your excellency, Mr. Borata, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco, your excellencies. At the outset, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco for its effort to hold this global conference. It is an important conference on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech. We thank the Kingdom of Morocco for its continued effort towards moderation and coexistence. My country stresses that intercultural and interreligious dialogue is a main pillar to promote mutual understanding and building more coherent and secure societies. Respecting cultural diversity and promoting the dignity of human beings our main pillars towards peace and stability. In light of the increase in hate speech, intolerance, and discrimination based on faith and religion, we stress the need to intensify international effort to address these phenomena as they have serious repercussions when it comes to undermining social cohesion. In this regard, The State of Kuwait reiterates its condemnation of all forms of hate speech, extremism, and incitement to violence, and any desecration of religious sites, books, and promotion of violence. made need to address hate speech and should be based on the principles of international law, the prospect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. We categorically reject linking terrorism or extremism to any religion, nationality or culture because this entrenches stereotypes and leads to more hate speech and division. Your excellencies, in this regard, we refer to the importance of security Council Resolution 2686 that stresses that hate speech and different forms of intolerance and acts of extremism could lead to conflicts and their escalation. In light of the accelerated advances in digital spheres, social media and AI, These are all linked to challenges as they lead to fast and accelerated spread of hate speech and intolerance. Here we stress the need to use these technologies responsibly as tools to promote culture, dialogue and approachment among peoples and not to spread hate and lead to division. Here we welcome the Arab Declaration on Tolerance and Peace, and we need to implement this declaration to make it -- to turn it into tangible actions to promote cultural and religious dialogue and to promote dialogue, tolerance, and to enable women and youth to actively participate in addressing different kinds of hate and extremism and violence. Cultural diversity, ladies and gentlemen, is a positive character and should not be a reason for division, but it should be a source of enrichment. Hence, the State of Kuwait will continue to support regional and international initiatives working towards entrenching the culture of peace, tolerance, and addressing hate speech towards a world that is based on mutual understanding, respect, coexistence, and protecting human dignity. In closing, Once again, we would like to thank the Kingdom of Morocco for holding this important global conference. We look forward to its outcome, promoting collective and joint international action and to promote our collective commitment towards tolerance and practical steps that will promote coexistence, understanding among peoples and cultures. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Faisal Alenzi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Kuwait, for your intervention. And thank you again to Kuwait for the permanent engagement to combat hate speech. So now I give the floor to Mr. Damir Sabanovic, Deputy Permanent Representative of Montenegro, Cernogora. So you have the floor.

Thank you, distinguished Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, I would like to inform that Montenegro aligns with the statement of the European Union. Montenegro commends the efforts of Morocco, the United Nations Office of Genocide Prevention and Responsibility to Protect and the UNHCR. We believe that this topic is of paramount importance and must be discussed openly with a particular focus on highlighting best practices and strengthening the role of the United Nations and its member states. Hate speech is more than just offensive language. It is a dangerous tool for spreading intolerance and hostility, and it can lead to violence and large-scale atrocities. Internet and social media networks have become powerful tools for information, communication, and connecting different communities, while simultaneously serving as the channels for spreading intolerance, stereotypes, and hate speech. Our role is to ensure that this issue is not sidelined. By countering hate speech narratives, we defend social cohesion and a dialogue rooted in respect and democracy. The issue of hate speech in Montenegro is legally regulated through a combination of constitutional prohibitions, criminal legislations, anti-discrimination regulation, and media laws. Although the legal framework is broadly set, it is constantly being improved in a practice to encompass contemporary forms of expression, particularly within the digital space. Distinguished colleagues, Montenegro is not only a multicultural society, but a compact intercultural community in the truest sense of the word. Interculturalism is not a novelty for us. It has been historically shaped as a part of a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional space. Interculturalism was not artificially important into our country. Rather, it represents the evolution of centuries old practices. In this regard, we are proudly emphasized that interculturalism represents a vital guideline for the social development of Montenegro as a multicultural country with a rich history of diversity. With this in mind, the government of Montenegro established the directorate for interculturalism within the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights in 2022. Montenegro thereby became one of few countries in the world to elevate this concept to the level of direct state administration. Furthermore, at the end of 2024, the first national strategy for interculturalism and social cohesion for the period 2025-28 was adopted, grounding the vision of a culture of interbeing as an official public policy direction. This strategy represents a key document for enhancing social relations and strengthening integration processes and social cohesion in Montenegro. The goal of the strategy is to provide a proactive, positive and systematic response to the challenges arising from ethnic, cultural, religious and other intersectional diversities to harmonize the social arena and to build inclusive society that respects values and develops the full potential of all its members. In conclusion, allow me to emphasize that the fight against hate speech requires continuous vigilance. It demands not only legislation, but the constant nurturing of a culture of dialogue. By suppressing hate speech today, we are effectively protecting peace and universal human rights for generations to come. The role of United Nations in this endeavor is invaluable. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Vamir Sabanovic, Deputy Permanent Representative of Montenegro. And thank you very much to Montenegro for its enhancing multiculturalism. Sometimes it's been attacked. Sometimes they don't recognize what is good. And I congratulate Montenegro, his people, and his leadership for putting multilateralism in part of institutional architecture. So thank you very much. Now I give the floor to His Excellency Ambassador Burhan Ghafur, Ambassador of Singapore. Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Chair. Singapore joins others in thanking the Kingdom of Morocco, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, and the Office on Genocide Prevention and R2P for convening this very important conference. We believe it is very timely because the reality is that hate speech is a growing concern for all our societies. Divisive content spreads faster and reaches a wider audience than before, and generative AI has made it easier to produce and make it much harder to detect hate speech. Unfortunately, no country is immune, and Singapore faces the same challenge. We have also seen an increase in hateful and xenophobic content online. For Singapore, The challenge of countering hate speech is an existential one. We are a small, densely populated city-state and one of the most religiously and culturally diverse societies in the world. Our experience has taught us that distrust between communities, if left unchecked, can have grave consequences and could potentially destroy social cohesion. Excellencies, Singapore's approach has three elements. First, We have put in place institutional safeguards. Our constitution provides that all are equal before the law regardless of race, language, or religion. Second, we regularly review our laws and policies to strengthen social cohesion. For example, our Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, which is a piece of legislation, provides for community-based measures that strengthen reconciliation before there is any signs of tension. Thirdly, hate speech cannot be addressed by legal means alone. There has to be mutual trust and respect, and this must be forged through everyday interaction, and our policies must expand the common spaces wherever there are such intercultural interactions. Our students share the same classrooms. Our public housing estates are integrated by design. Within these spaces, our racial and religious harmony circles organize events that deepen understanding of different faiths and practices, while businesses and young people run ground-up initiatives to strengthen social cohesion. These are the daily interactions that we believe are important to build mutual trust, respect, and acceptance. Yet, we know the work is never finished. There is no single recipe for building cohesive societies, as every society is different. But when we choose to celebrate our differences and build genuine bridges, our societies grow stronger, precisely because we are very diverse in our composition. Singapore stands ready to share our experiences, and we also want to learn from our friends from around the world. I thank you very much.

Thank you very much, dear Ambassador, Ambassador Burhan Ghafur, for your intervention and for sharing with us this Singapore model where diversity has been the main tool to create and protect and reinforce social cohesion. So thank you very much. Now I give the floor to the next speaker. We have a last speaker, yes, from is Mr. Widya Sanowich, Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Allow me at the outset to express my appreciations to the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and also the United Nations Lands of Civilizations for convening this important global conference. Mr. Chair, the rise of hate speech and identity-based hostility including those targeting religion and cultural identity, should alarm us all. It reflects a wider erosion of trust, solidarity, and our shared humanity. At this critical moment, we must act with resolve to reaffirm our commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue. It is a vital tool to address the root causes of hate speech and to strengthen social fabrics of our communities. Allow me to offer several recommendations on this matter. First, we must begin by safeguarding the core principles that underpin constructive engagement. Too often, we overlook the importance of these principles. Recognition of diversity promotes understanding across religions, cultures, and societies. This means avoiding politicizations of ideals and promoting moderation. Indonesia stand firm in its principled view that extremism has no religion. No community must ever be judged by the actions of a few. And this must become our shared value, along with compassion, justice, peace, and human dignity. Second, concrete and coordinated action must begin at home. For Indonesia, interreligious and intercultural dialogue is not hypothetical. It is lived, practiced, built, and essential to our national harmony. It is rooted in our national values of Pancasila, the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, or unity in diversity. These values are reinforced by our constitution, human rights laws, and national legislations. A cornerstone to Indonesia's effort is the Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama, the Interreligious Harmony Forum, which serve as a national mechanism for fostering dialogue and cooperation among faith communities. In the region, the ASEAN Sociocultural Community serves as a mechanism to build a people-centered and sustainable region. Central to this mechanism is ensuring inclusivity and that no one is left behind. Third, we must strengthen partnership across all levels of society. Youth empowerment is essential. Our young generation are both the most exposed to online hate and the most aware and tech-savvy. shape the narratives of coexistence. In this regard, tech companies are responsible for safeguarding digital space, promote moderation, and counter hate speech embedded in algorithmic bias. We urge education reform that promotes pluralism and greater roles for religious leaders and civil society in building bridges at the grassroots levels. Mr. Chair, the rise of hate speech is a test of our collective resolve to uphold the values of the United Nations Charter. Let us reaffirm our commitment for shared humanity and strengthen the foundation of peace and future generations. I thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much to Mr. Widjaja Sanowich, Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia, and for the role and commitment of Indonesia to combat hate speech. Now I give the floor to Her Excellency, Oliver Hurner, the Permanent Representative of Switzerland. You have the floor.

Mr. President, Mr. Under-Secretary-General, Switzerland welcomes the convening of this global conference at a time when the fight against hate speech is of particular urgency. As a country Rooted in diversity and dialogue, Switzerland is convinced that the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of religion or belief are not contradictory, but rather complementary pillars of pluralistic societies. It is essential to promote responses that combat discrimination, incitement to hatred, and violence, while preserving open debate and the full exercise of freedom of expression, both on and offline. The Rabat Plan of Action constitutes in this regard an essential framework. This is why Switzerland considers it important to revitalize and consolidate the consensus around the Rabat Plan of Action and to promote its full and effective implementation, including in the digital environment. With this in mind, Switzerland launched in September 2025, together with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the organization Article 19, an initiative aimed at fostering an inclusive dialogue to interpret the application of the Rabat Plan of Action online. Over the course of the year, this initiative continued with an expert workshop in Gland, Switzerland, followed by a side event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Based on these fruitful discussions, Switzerland, together with its partners, has developed practical, non-binding recommendations for all stakeholders. and for states, technology companies, and civil society, which it will present at an event organized on the sidelines of the Third Committee of the GA in October. Switzerland warmly invites all delegations to join this dialogue and to work together toward the effective protection of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression so that digital spaces may remain for generations to come. beacons of pluralism, dialogue, and freedom. Convinced that dialogue, understanding, and cooperation are essential tools for combating hate speech in all its forms and manifestations, including in the digital environment, Switzerland is committed to continuing to contribute actively to this effort alongside all relevant stakeholders.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. President, the Deputy Permanent Representative.

For your contribution and for the role and activities and proposal that Switzerland has proposed in this field. Now, last but not least, we have the last speaker of the segment of this morning, His Excellency Mrs. Noah Furman, Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel. Madam, you have the floor.

I'd like to thank the Kingdom of Morocco for its leadership on this important issue. Hate speech does not end with words. Left unaddressed, it can harden into exclusion and discrimination, and ultimately into violence. For Israelis and Jews around the world, this danger is not abstract. Since October 7, 2023, antisemitism has surged globally. In 2025, 20 people were murdered in antisemitic attacks in Sydney, Manchester, Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado. According to the Anti-Defamation League, this made 2025 the deadliest year for antisemitic violence against Jews worldwide since the 1994 bombing of the main Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. This reality underscores why interreligious and intercultural dialogue is not simply an aspiration. It is a vital tool of prevention. Sustained engagement among religious and community leaders, civil society, and community themselves can challenge prejudice before it becomes normalized, build trust across divisions, and strengthen the social cohesion that hatred seeks to erode. As a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society, Israel works to put these principles into practice. Earlier this year, senior Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze leaders gathered in Adarat for Israel's 15th Conference of Religious Leaders. Under the theme, "From Polarization to Unity," they came together to strengthen cooperation and to confront extremism and violence. At the international level, we already have important frameworks to guide our efforts, the IHRA definition on antisemitism, as well as the United Nation Action Plan to enhance monitoring and response to antisemitism. What is urgently needed now is implementation. Antisemitism must be confronted wherever it appears, including within the UN system. Antisemitic rhetoric can be fueled by the demonization and delegitimization of Israel, the application of double standards, and the minimization or denial of the atrocities of October 7. The UN-owned action plan must therefore be implemented consistently and meaningfully across the system. It cannot remain only on paper. Last week, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations launched a task force on combating antisemitism, aimed at developing best practices, strengthening coordination, and translating commitments into measurable action. Excellencies, Israel is committed to supporting interreligious and intercultural dialogue in Israel and throughout the world as a means to build trust, strengthen social cohesion, and confront hatred and violence. We stand ready to work with every member state, every faith community, and every institution that shares that commitment. Thank you.

Thank you very much to Her Excellency, Mrs. Noa Fulman, Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel, for his intervention, his commitment to combat hate speech, to combat, of course, antisemitism and any kind of discrimination, and, of course, as a focal point of the UN of combating antisemitism, I'm still ready to collaborate with all partners, all member states, to get this plan of action of UN of combating antisemitism full implementation. For that, we need coordination and we need complementary and not to exclude anybody. As you said, you are ready to work with all institutions, so I hope you can work together in order to implement and this UN plan. So with this intervention, we have reached the end of the list of speakers for this morning. You have noticed there has been some changes requested by the member states. Some member states wanted to speak in the afternoon, other wanted to speak this morning because you have been extremely wise, extremely good. You respect the time limit. And so we are going to end before we was expected. So it's a record in this. But I really congratulate and welcome all the speakers for the commitment for that. So I think, therefore, we will continue the list of speakers this afternoon session. 00 p.m. And at that time, it will be moderated by the Kingdom of Morocco, most probably his ambassador, my dear friend, Omar Hirali. I did my job. Now it's your turn, Omar. Thank you very much. So see you later. Bye. Thank you.