12 March, Geneva - The International Dialogue Centre – KAICIID was part of “Protecting Human Rights through Countering Hate Speech and Promoting Interreligious Dialogue” event, organized within the framework of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The initiative dedicated to promoting interreligious dialogue and combating hate speech as a means of protecting human rights gathered representatives from international organizations, diplomatic missions, religious leaders and civil society, such as the Holy See (KACIID’s Founding Observer Member), UNESCO and the World Council of Churches, to discuss practical approaches for responding to hate speech and promoting more inclusive societies.
KAICIID was represented by its Acting Secretary General of KAICIID, António de Almeida Ribeiro, who participated as a key speaker in a panel focusing on the role of interreligious and intercultural dialogue in preventing hate speech and strengthening social cohesion.
During his intervention, the Acting Secretary General underlined that various forms of intolerance continue to affect the daily lives of many people across regions worldwide: “Hate speech seeks to divide societies and weaken trust between communities. Our collective response must focus on dialogue, cooperation across sectors, and the promotion of fundamental values such as human dignity, solidarity, and mutual respect.”
The Acting Secretary General added that: “Approximately 80% of the world’s population had a religious identity. That is 6.4 billion people that identify with a religious group. KAICIID’s Fellows Programme, which brings together over 500 leaders across 100 countries and multiple religious traditions, is an example of how we are working local leaders to build long-term relationships and resilience. With the next step being the publishing and implementation of a Hate Speech Resource Guide to provide our networks and partners with the practical knowledge to identify and carry out methods that can impact meaningfully their work in tackling hate speech.”
The event also addressed the impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, highlighting the need for strengthened cooperation between states, technology companies, civil society, religious leaders and international organizations, in tackling misinformation that fuels conflict and breeds hate among communities.
The session saw interventions from several distinguished international figures, including Ettore Balestrero, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva; Rajae Naji Mekkaoui, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Holy See; Leon Saltiel, Representative of the World Jewish Congress to the United Nations in Geneva and UNESCO; Michael Wiener, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Peter Prove, Director of International Affairs at the World Council of Churches.
KAICIID’s participation in this event reinforces the Centre’s mandate of promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue as an essential tool for preventing conflict, combating intolerance and strengthening inclusive societies grounded in respect for human rights.