divisive rhetoric including xenophobia, racism, antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, attacks on Christian communities and misogyny. She explained that the United Nations has developed a global Strategy and Plan of Action for tackling the growing trends of hate speech, including its drivers and root causes, and that her office is a systemwide focal point for this strategy and is working with several partners in all regions on its implementation. She added that the Secretary-General has issued his Call to Action for Human Rights, which includes protecting the right of the most vulnerable in society, including ethnic, religious, national, and racial minorities, noting that this must also go hand in hand with addressing root causes of violence in our societies and promoting peace and inclusion. Finally, the Special Adviser recalled that effective prevention also requires the international community to take timely action to protect populations at risk of these crimes, and to hold accountable those responsible. She regretted that too often we have seen the inability of the Security Council to take unified action to protect populations at risk of even the most serious crimes, and expressed appreciation to see that other intergovernmental bodies such as the Human Rights Council have tried to fill the gap. Ms. Nassima Baghli, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stated that minorities are often exposed to multiple forms of discrimination, stereotyping and hate speech which contribute to excluding them from public life in all its dimensions. She explained that this exclusion produces negative impacts on the cohesion and stability of societies and can even provoke crises and conflicts, noting that some communities have even been stripped of their citizenship. She added that minorities are also the target of populist and extremist politicians who, for political gains, incite racial or religious hatred. She expressed the need to redouble efforts to guarantee the rights of minorities and promote cohesive, stable and resilient societies through an effective implementation of the tools we have at our disposal, and avoid any politicization of these matters. Ms. Baghli noted that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is concerned about the surge of lslamophobia, which is posing a threat to peace and security in the world. She added that the OIC has engaged in mediations with regards to crises, and that interfaith and intercultural dialogue have been a priority for the OIC in developing a culture of peace and moderation among nations and civilizations. She concluded by noting that the OIC has established an lslamophobia Observatory tasked with tracking and analyzing the facts and trends related to this phenomenon. Mr. Kairat Abdrakhmanov, High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) stated that prevention is better than cure, and that taking proactive measures to prevent conflicts is more effective in the long run than implementing measures to counter the consequences of a conflict that has already taken place. He explained that preventing conflict is an integral part of the security dimension of the OSCE, and the cornerstone of his mandate. 5