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Secretary General at Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić is taking part in the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism on 13 October 2021. She is making a speech and is taking part in the panel entitled “Countering contemporary antisemitism and other forms of racism online...
Pillars of Modern Age Europe – Coexistence of Religious Communities, Debrecen 13-15 October
The Secretary General’s Special Representative on antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes will be participating in the international Conference, Pillars of Modern Age Europe – Coexistence of Religious Communities from 13 to 15 October and will be making...
Council of Europe invited by Ukraine to attend 80th anniversary Commemoration of the Babyn Yar
By invitation of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, I was honoured to represent the Council of Europe, on 6 October, at the 80th anniversary Commemoration of the Babyn Yar Massacre. Marking 80 years since the Babyn Yar massacre in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 29-30, 1941, speeches were held by...
Athens Democracy Forum
For the second year in a row the Council of Europe was actively participating in the Athens Democracy Forum 29 September - 1 October. Communications’ Director Daniel Höltgen was moderating a panel on combating racism and hate speech and Marja Ruotanen, Director of Human Dignity and Equality,...
The Council of Europe stands united in the fight against antisemitism.
On 23 September the Ministers’ Deputies held an informal meeting under the Hungarian Presidency on “Combating and preventing antisemitism in Europe: challenges and perspectives” with guest speakers: Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, Chief Rabbi of Moscow and President of the Conference of European...
Online hate speech is a growing and dangerous trend
Initial results of a consultation of Muslim organisations Vorläufige Ergebnisse einer Befragung muslimischer Verbände in Europa
Commemoration of 80 years since the Pogrom of Iasi, Romania
Address to the commemoration and international conference on the Pogrom of Iasi, Romania, 28-30 June 2021
Recent escalation of antisemitic attacks needs Europe-wide response
The recent escalation of antisemitic attacks requires a Europe-wide response. Governments should join forces to prevent new waves of antisemitism by countering hate speech on the Internet and supporting education about the Holocaust and human rights. Article published in European media English...
Publication of Austria's "Islam map" is hostile to Muslims and potentially counterproductive
"Countering extremism and dangerous ideologies is one of the most important tasks of national security today. It is therefore only consistent to take action against the spread of dangerous narratives under the guise of freedom of religion. Unfortunately, the "Islam Map" of Austria overshoots the...
Meeting with Sophie Elizéon, Inter-ministerial Co‑ordinator on combating racism, antisemitism and anti-LGBT hatred (DILCRAH, France)
On 30 April, I had a meeting in Strasbourg with Sophie Elizéon, France’s new Inter-ministerial Co‑ordinator on combating racism, antisemitism and anti-LGBT hatred, and Laurence Villette-Richard, DILCRAH adviser on justice and international relations. Following the exchange of views I held with...
The Muslim Council of Britain: Young people facing hate speech online are most vulnerable
In my online meeting with Zara Mohammed, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, we discussed common areas of concern and future cooperation. Secretary General Zara Mohammed emphasized that young people are particularly vulnerable to anti-Muslim hate speech on the Internet. She...
Forthcoming PACE report on Combating anti-Semitism in Europe
The Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly is preparing a report on combating anti-Semitism in Europe. Austrian Member of Parliament, Petra Bayr was nominated rapporteur for the report. In the context of her consultations, I had a very...
Informal meeting of Ministers’ Deputies 25 March 2021: Conclusions by the Special Representative
Three conclusions: Content which is illegal in public and on paper cannot be allowed to spread exponentially online. Our work on hate online will take national and European legislation into account and it may also draw on the pioneering legal challenge by the UEJF and its partners against Twitter...
Antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of hate and intolerance online and offline: trends and counter strategies
Informal meeting of Ministers’ Deputies 25 March 2021
Meeting with Noémie Madar, President of the UEJF
I was honoured to invite Noémie Madar, President of the Union of Jewish Students in France to an informal meeting of the Ambassadors of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on combatting hate speech offline and online. She reported about the ongoing case of the Union des Etudiants...
Holocaust Remembrance Day 2021
To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we have published important statements by Council of Europe leaders and by Israel‘s Ambassador to the International Organisations in France, Haim Assaraf. I am honoured that Ambassador Assaraf gave his full support to my mandate as the Council of...
Discussion of my mandate at the Committee of Ministers
On 13 January I presented to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers a summary of my exchanges and interventions during the first two months of my mandate. My report received broad support from ambassadors and I am grateful for the constructive comments I received on the phenomenon of...
Meeting with Ms Milena Santerini, Italian Special Representative on Antisemitism on 15 December
Following recent exchanges with the antisemitism representatives of France, Germany and the UK I had a very informative meeting with the Italian Special Representative on Antisemitism, Milena Santerini Professor at the Catholic University of Milan. Ms Santerini was a member of the Council of...
Meeting with the President of the Central Committee of Muslims in Germany, Aiman A. Mazyek
On 10 December I met with Aiman A. Mazyek, President of the Central Committee of Muslims in Germany in my capacity as Special Representative. I had previously met Mr Mazyek together with former Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland in 2017, when Mr Mazyek had warned of the danger of racist attacks...
Happy Hanukkah
We have seen dark days. The story of Hanukkah gives us hope and confidence that brighter days will come again. And together we will #RecoverBetter. The Council of Europe wishes the Jewish Community across Europe Hanukkah Sameach!
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