China News Agency, United Nations, June 20. The United Nations General Assembly held an informal high-level meeting on the International Day to Combat Hate Speech on the 20th. Zhang Jun, the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, spoke at the meeting and raised three concerns related to hate speech.
Zhang Jun said that China appreciates the efforts of the United Nations in combating hate speech and supports the further implementation of the "United Nations Strategy and Action Plan for Eliminating Hate Speech".
Hate speech erodes the common values of all mankind, affects social stability, induces violent conflicts, undermines peace and security, hinders the realization of sustainable development, and seriously poisons the efforts of the international community to cooperate in addressing global challenges.
The international community cannot tolerate this.
In the Internet age, hate speech spreads rapidly, has a wide range and has a deep impact, and deserves the attention of the international community.
Regarding hate speech, Zhang Jun raised three concerns.
The first is that stigmatized speech hinders the anti-epidemic process, the second is that racist speech promotes hate crimes, and the third is that hate speech leads to the intensification of "Islamophobia".
Zhang Jun said that since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, all kinds of stigmatized remarks and false and false information have triggered a new "information epidemic", which has seriously disrupted and undermined international solidarity and anti-epidemic cooperation.
At present, extreme ideological trends such as discrimination against African Americans and hatred against Asian Americans are rampant, and racist attacks occur frequently, which is distressing.
The current hatred of Muslims has risen to "epidemic levels".
Some Western media reports that the perpetrators of violent incidents are Muslims are nearly 8 times more than non-Muslims, and the length is more than 2 times longer, which induces the public to deepen hatred and prejudice against Muslims.
Zhang Jun said that in response to and eradicating hate speech, all countries should adhere to mutual respect and conduct equal dialogue.
Individual countries should learn lessons, reflect on them seriously, abandon arrogance and prejudice, and earnestly respect the concerns of other countries. They should not condone hate speech and spread false information in the name of freedom of speech.
We must uphold openness and inclusiveness, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, promote people-to-people bonds, eliminate estrangement and misunderstanding, and break the breeding ground for hate speech.
Countries should attach importance to the fundamental role of education in eliminating hate speech, cultivate the younger generation's understanding and respect for different cultures, and improve the public's ability to identify and criticize information.
Political leaders and the news media have to shoulder a special responsibility to stop the generation and spread of hate speech and promote an inclusive culture of peace.
Zhang Jun said that human beings live in the same global village.
In the face of global challenges, strengthening solidarity and working together under the banner of the United Nations is the fundamental way out.
China is willing to work with other countries to practice genuine multilateralism, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly build a better world.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the launch of the UN Strategy and Action Plan to Eliminate Hate Speech in June 2019.
In July 2021, the 75th UN General Assembly passed a resolution to designate June 18 as the International Day against Hate Speech.
June 18 this year marks the first International Day against Hate Speech.
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