A/HRC/28/64 89. Ethics codes play an important role in guiding press workers on how to report objectively and responsibly. The Press Ethics Code of Benin emphasizes that “Journalists must refuse to publish any incitement to tribal, racial and religious hatred. They must make a stand against all forms of discrimination” (art. 10). Singapore’s Internet Code of Practice considers as prohibited material that “glorifies, incites or endorses ethnic, racial or religious hatred, strife or intolerance” (art. 4 (2)(g)). 90. Independent regulatory bodies, such as media watchdogs, councils and ombudsmen, monitor media reporting, identify and report on hateful content and reinforce ethical standards. However, regulatory media bodies must not unduly censor media sources and must comply with international standards. The Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina monitors the application of the Press Code and the investigation of complaints. In 2014, in the context of the general elections campaign, it launched the campaign “STOP! Hate Speech!”. 91. Several self-regulatory media bodies have started to operate in Africa, some of them in countries with a history of hate speech and incitement to violence against minority groups. The Rwanda Media Commission was established in 2013 with the mandate to promote ethical journalism, defend media freedom and adjudicate complaints against the media; some commentators have alleged censorship and serious restrictions on media freedoms. 92. Media self-regulatory bodies in the Americas include the Ethics Committee of the Journalism National Council in Panama.34 The Committee brings together journalists, media owners, civil society, academics and the Office of the Ombudsman and receives and responds to complaints about journalism practices. 93. Participation of minorities in the media landscape encompasses the possibility for minority professionals to work in media outlets. Some media outlets have developed specific programmes and internships to recruit and train minority media workers in order to promote ethnic diversity in the newsrooms and press offices. D. Civil society initiatives to address hate speech 94. Civil society organizations have developed innovative approaches and actions to combat hate in the media, including the Internet. Those actions include identifying hate trends, tracking and monitoring hate speech websites, notifying potentially affected or targeted communities about hate activities, working closely with Internet providers and governmental agencies to report hateful content and providing online educational materials and training programmes. 95. Studio Ijambo was launched in 1995 by the organization Search for Common Ground to address inter-ethnic violence in Burundi. The programme aimed to establish a platform to promote dialogue and tolerance through radio, in contrast to hate speech and incitement in radio programmes in neighbouring Rwanda. The station uses different formats, including debates and discussion programmes, soap operas, sketches and interactions between political leaders and youth, for example. Twenty years on, the model is considered a success and has been replicated in other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where radio has been used to promote constructive messages about conflict resolution. 34 Report of the Expert Workshop for the Americas, Santiago, 12 and 13 October 2011, available from www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Expression/ICCPR/Santiago/MeetingReportSantagio.pdf. 19

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