The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a socio-economic crisis as well as a human rights crisis rolled into one. It has exacerbated the vulnerability of the least protected in society. While the virus does not discriminate, its impacts do. Crises, including outbreaks of diseases, create anxiety and fear that are key ingredients for racism, xenophobia and religious intolerance to thrive. Hate speech is the most blatant manifestation of these phenomena. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, all regions have seen increased trends of hate speech based on ethnic and religious identity, as well as migration status. Xenophobia has surged online and in the streets. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have spread, and COVID-19-related anti-Muslim attacks have occurred. Migrants and refugees have been vilified as a source of the virus – and then denied access to medical treatment. In some countries, political leaders have used labels like “foreigner’s disease” to describe COVID-19, fueling stigmatization of minority groups, racism, xenophobia and related intolerance. Social media platforms have been misused to propagate hate and often incite violence.
In this context, on 8 May 2020, the UN Secretary-General launched a Global Appeal to Address and Counter COVID-19 related hate speech. The appeal included a call on civil society to strengthen outreach to vulnerable people, and religious actors to serve as models of mutual respect. Building on this appeal, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (OSAPG), the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) convened on 28 May 2020 a group of religious leaders and actors and faith-based organizations to explore innovative ways to partner in the response to COVID-19 and discuss relevant thematic areas as well as possible actions and initiatives. This consultation resulted in the Global Pledge for Action by Religious Actors and Faith-Based Organizations to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic in collaboration with the United Nations . The Pledge includes a declaration by religious leaders and actors with assurances and commitments in response to COVID-19, and a mapping of ongoing activities and possible areas of collaboration with the United Nations.
Addressing and countering COVID-19 related hate speech, interfaith dialogue and capacity-building figure prominently in the mapping both as cross-cutting issues and as specific areas where religious leaders and faith-based organizations are focusing their actions and responses to COVID-19. In particular, the signatories to the Global Pledge committed themselves to “stand up and speak against hate speech and hate crimes, xenophobia, racism and all other forms of discrimination; and to work with the United Nations and all other relevant stakeholders to implement the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech and the UN Guidance on Addressing and Countering COVID-19 related Hate Speech.”
With the objective of translating the Global Pledge into specific actions for further collaboration and enhanced partnership between the United Nations and faith actors, OSAPG, UNAOC and OHCHR organized a peer-to-peer learning programme. Six monthly webinars took place between December 2020 and May 2021, which focused on the role and experiences of faith actors in promoting gender equality, addressing hate speech, safeguarding religious sites, protecting religious or belief minorities, preventing atrocity crimes and facilitating and fostering interfaith dialogue & mutual respect . The webinars aimed to ensure gender balance in terms of participation and to highlight the contribution of women in the fight against hate speech. The webinars targeted participants with experience working in the field to address challenges related to COVID-19 and its socio-economic impacts and shared good practices and lessons learnt in this regard. Each webinar resulted in snapshots of learning points and recommendations that were compiled together. This compilation, that is publicly available, provides the basis for further UN engagement with faith actors and civil society on combatting hate speech and its ramifications in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
