A/HRC/46/44 During 2020, OHCHR has responded to the system-wide United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, launched by the Secretary-General in 2019, by mobilizing broad internal consultations, including throughout the OHCHR field presences. OHCHR has aimed to examine in what ways it can best support States, national human rights institutions, United Nations country teams, civil society and human rights defenders in addressing hate speech in human rights-compliant modes, and with the overall goals of strengthening inclusion and diversity. Designed on the basis of these consultations, the OHCHR strategy and action plan to tackle hate speech, adopted in June, is framed around five pillars: (a) clarifying the contours of “hate speech”; (b) media and technology; (c) supporting victims and countering harmful stereotypes; (d) working with influencers, leaders and different groups; and (e) supporting engagement by and coherence of the United Nations system. The #Faith4Rights toolkit,24 launched online by OHCHR in January, translates the Beirut Declaration and its 18 Commitments on Faith for Rights25 into practical peer-to-peer learning programmes that include concrete ideas for addressing incitement to hatred and violence against minorities, especially in the COVID-19 context. OHCHR has been piloting the #Faith4Rights toolkit with faith-based actors, academics and United Nations human rights mechanisms at the national, regional and global levels.26 Webinars on keeping the faith in times of hate and on confronting COVID-19 through the prism of faith, gender equality and human rights were conducted, in collaboration with Religions for Peace, United Nations human rights experts, and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (as part of its Knowledge Hub).27 In February, the OHCHR Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa piloted the #Faith4Rights toolkit through a dedicated session during the Middle East and North Africa regional round of the Price Moot Court Competition in Lebanon.28 Throughout 2020, the OHCHR Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa monitored hate speech, discrimination and xenophobia against minorities. Incidents against persons of certain ethnicities were identified, especially those of Asian origin. In this vein, the Regional Office collaborated with resident coordinators, governments and civil society to help raise awareness and combat incidents of discrimination against migrant workers. In addition, the Regional Office initiated a social media campaign with the United Nations Information Centre regional office on fighting xenophobia and hate speech. The OHCHR Regional Office for Central Asia completed an analysis of hate speech in the media in Kyrgyzstan during the early stages of the emergency, as the first cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Kyrgyzstan related to religious pilgrims in the south of the country, leading to many negative comments in relation to certain groups, including various ethnic minority groups. In addition, the Regional Office has monitored an increase in divisive rhetoric against ethnic minorities in the context of a political crisis that emerged in Kyrgyzstan in October 2020 following the cancellation of parliamentary election results. The Regional Office provided support for the visit of the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia during her mission to Kyrgyzstan, where she was briefed about hate speech and divisive rhetoric. In particular, information was shared about nationalistic statements by prominent public figures, and the fear of ethnic clashes targeting Uzbeks, Dungans and other groups. In March, the UNAMI human rights office organized a dialogue with Iraqi experts and stakeholders on the issue of hate speech. The event, co-chaired by UNAMI and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and United Nations global focal point on hate speech, offered the opportunity for an informed debate on the issue of hate speech and ways to prevent it in Iraq. 24 25 26 27 28 8 See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Press/faith4rights-toolkit.pdf. A/HRC/40/58, annexes I and II. See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FaithForRights.aspx. See www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/Statements/CEDAW_statement_COVID19_final.doc. A/HRC/22/17/Add.4, appendix.