Council of Europe Kicks Off “No Hate Speech Week,” Secretary General Calls for New Democratic Pact and Stronger Platform Accountability

Council of Europe Kicks Off “No Hate Speech Week,” Secretary General Calls for New Democratic Pact and Stronger Platform Accountability

A significant concern raised by Berset was the “mass production of hate – amplified in the digital age,” which he stated is “being monetised, weaponised, and optimised”.

RMN News Political Desk
June 19, 2025

Strasbourg, France – The Council of Europe has launched its inaugural No Hate Speech Week in Strasbourg, an annual event coinciding with the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on June 18. Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset opened the week, emphasizing that “hate speech is not an isolated issue, but a part of a deeper challenge – to trust, to truth, to democracy itself”. Berset underscored the urgency of confronting hate speech as the organization works towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe, stating that hate speech “has to be part of that conversation”.

Secretary General Berset highlighted the continuum between hate speech and hate crime, noting that “hate begins with words but does not end there”. He recalled two crucial Council of Europe Recommendations: one from 2022, which focuses on combating hate speech by criminalizing its most serious forms and addressing less severe manifestations through administrative and civil law, and another from 2024, which specifically addresses hate crime.

A significant concern raised by Berset was the “mass production of hate – amplified in the digital age,” which he stated is “being monetised, weaponised, and optimised”. To combat this, he advocated for stronger platform accountability, including transparency on content ranking, labelling of AI-generated speech, and “real consequences when harmful content is boosted”. Berset stressed that any regulation must be clear, proportionate, and firmly grounded in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The No Hate Speech Week, initiated in 2024, is organized by the Anti-discrimination Department of the Council of Europe as part of a joint EU-CoE project and supported by the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. The theme for this year’s Week is “Enhance legal and non-legal measures against hate speech through a multi-stakeholder approach”.

Over the course of the week, more than 100 representatives are convening, including national authorities, public figures, civil society organizations, equality bodies, Ombudsoffices, academia, internet industry representatives, international organizations, and EU bodies. They will exchange information on recent legal and policy developments, good practices, and innovations.

Key events and activities planned for the No Hate Speech Week include:

• A “study visit” on June 18, organized by the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit, for 30 stakeholders, featuring workshops on policing hate crime, ethical reporting for media, and countering anti-rights movements.
• Workshops on countering disinformation at the local level, employing an intercultural approach, organized by the Intercultural Cities Programme.
• An award ceremony on the afternoon of June 18 for the winners of the 2025 Journalism Excellence Awards, celebrating quality and objective reporting on Roma-related issues free from bias and stereotypes.
• A Thematic Plenary on Hate Speech and Media, organized with the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) within the Journalists Matter Campaign, to discuss preventing and countering attacks on journalists and silencing critical voices.
• A joint plenary and workshops with the Conference on Preventing and Combating Hate Crime, organized by the Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI) on June 19-20.
• Participation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Cybercrime, and Gender Equality Divisions in a posters and networking fair.
• Over 18 workshops led by civil society organizations on various topics, such as countering hate speech in media and online, sexist hate speech, hate speech targeting Roma and Travellers, victim support, disinformation, and educational tools.
• On June 20, participants will attend the opening of a Hackathon and democratic debates on the topic “Outsmart disinformation, protect free speech”.

Secretary General Alain Berset concluded his opening remarks with a call to action: “On this International Day for Countering Hate Speech, let us commit — together — to unlearning hate, protecting truth, and strengthening democracy“.