<\/p>\n
Speaking at the launch of the Muscat Plan of Action at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday, Guterres said hate speech is not only harmful but often serves as a precursor to serious human rights violations, including genocide.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guterres said hate speech divides societies, dehumanises communities and fuels conflict, describing it as a deliberate tool used in many instances of mass violence. He warned that the rapid spread of harmful narratives, particularly through digital platforms and artificial intelligence, is making the problem more urgent.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Muscat Plan of Action, developed through a multi-stakeholder process led by Oman and UN partners, highlights the role of traditional and Indigenous leaders in preventing conflict and promoting social cohesion. Guterres said these leaders are critical in addressing tensions at the community level due to their local knowledge, influence and trust among populations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to Guterres, tackling hate speech requires a coordinated approach involving governments, technology companies and civil society. He identified several priorities, including improving accountability for digital platforms, strengthening local capacity for mediation and prevention, and promoting education that encourages respect for diversity.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guterres also called for greater inclusion of traditional, Indigenous, youth and women leaders in peacebuilding efforts, noting that their participation helps strengthen community-based solutions and long-term stability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While emphasising the need to address harmful content, Guterres stressed that efforts to combat hate speech must respect freedom of expression. He said balancing these principles is essential to ensuring both protection of rights and prevention of harm.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guterres urged Member States to act decisively, warning that hate speech signals both a warning of potential violence and a driver that accelerates it. He said stronger collaboration and commitment will be required to break the cycle and prevent further escalation of tensions globally.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":36926,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-36925","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres has warned that the spread of hate speech poses a growing threat to global peace and security, urging stronger international action to prevent it from escalating into violence and atrocities.","published_date":"","news_description":"United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres has warned that the spread of hate speech poses a growing threat to global peace and security, urging stronger international action to prevent it from escalating into violence and atrocities.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36927,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36925\/revisions\/36927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=36925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}