EUROPEAN UNION Permanent Delegation to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Forum on Minority Issues 2020 19 - 20 November 2020 EU Intervention Madame chairperson, The EU welcomes today’s discussion. Given the worrying increase of expressions of hate against persons belonging to minorities our meeting is timely indeed. Preventing and countering the spread of hate speech online is an emerging challenge. Fast removal or disabling of access to such content online is often essential in order to limit wider dissemination and harm. However effective and appropriate safeguards should be put in place to ensure that they act in a diligent and proportionate manner in full respect for human rights and that the unintended removal of legal content is prevented. The EU's priority is to avoid that efforts to protect the public from internetbased threats would unduly limit the full enjoyment of freedom of expression, including by undemocratic authorities using fight against hate speech, manipulations of information and other forms of disinformation as a pretext to introduce overly restrictive legislation and improper monitoring practices. The EU appreciates the October 2019 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the freedom of opinion and expression, which identifies standards for handling hate speech.