Guterres calls for action as hate speech spreads across new platforms online

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, warned at a New York conference that hate speech is spreading rapidly across digital platforms, algorithms, and artificial intelligence, undermining peace and social cohesion. He highlighted its role in inciting violence and perpetuating atrocity crimes, including genocide and ethnic cleansing, while quoting the UN Charter’s commitment to tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Guterres emphasized that hate speech erodes trust, divides communities, and dehumanizes groups, threatening humanity’s shared values of acceptance and empathy.

The Secretary-General identified racism, misogyny, and xenophobia as growing trends, alongside the normalization of antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and discrimination against minority religious and ethnic groups. He stressed the need to address root causes through inclusive dialogue grounded in respect and equity, while rejecting hate speech both online and offline. Guterres cautioned that freedom of expression must not be used to justify harm, calling for balanced approaches to curb its misuse.

Guterres pointed to existing UN initiatives, including the Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech and the Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites, as proven tools to combat the issue. He acknowledged that collective responsibility is essential, involving governments, technology companies, civil society, faith communities, academia, and the media to build peaceful and inclusive societies.

The Secretary-General concluded with an urgent appeal for global collaboration to foster mutual understanding, break cycles of fear and hatred, and uphold the UN Charter’s vision of cohesive and stable societies. He reiterated that addressing hate speech requires shared effort across all sectors to prevent its escalation into violence and conflict.