Hate crime is a criminal offence committed with a hate element based on one or more actual or perceived personal characteristics or status.​

Hate crime threatens the safety of individuals and groups that are targeted by it and violates their core human rights. At the same time, it undermines equality and human dignity and destroys social stability and peace, thereby threatening the very basis of democratic societies. Hate crime is under-reported by victims and it is a complex phenomenon to tackle.

Through Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)4, the member States of the Council of Europe have agreed to the following definition of the term “hate crime”:

a. “hate” includes bias, prejudice or contempt; ​

b. “personal characteristics or status” includes, but is not limited to, “race"[1] colour, language, religion, nationality, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics.

Council of Europe's Recommendation on Combating Hate Crime

What is the Council of Europe’s Recommendation on Combating Hate Crime’?​

The recommendation sets out what should be done to prevent and combat hate crime. It calls upon member State institutions and key stakeholders to effectively co-operate and co-ordinate with one another as well as with civil society organisations for the purposes of preventing and responding to hate crime effectively and within the framework of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

What does it recommend?​

  • Adopt effective, proportionate, and dissuasive provisions in criminal law, alongside comprehensive policies, guidelines and other measures to prevent and combat hate crime.

  • Create the conditions to encourage reporting of hate crime through:
    • Providing effective, trauma-informed support to hate crime victims throughout the entire criminal justice process – including language services and legal, medical and psychological assistance;
    • Setting up safe and effective platforms, including anonymous and online reporting, as well as emergency helplines;
    • Encouraging criminal justice agencies to co-operate and co-ordinate between themselves and with civil society organisations.

  • Understand and properly address hate crime and its underreporting by:
    • Collecting anonymised and disaggregated data;
    • Regularly conducting surveys, including victimisation surveys;
    • Analysing and regularly reviewing such data to improve strategies.

  • Prepare and implement effective strategies and identify and address the drivers of hate crime.

  • Engage with relevant stakeholders such as internet intermediaries, public officials, elected bodies, political parties, civil society organisations, and the media.
     
  • Develop a culture of inclusiveness and human rights through education systems that promote mutual respect and equality. 

Guidance is also provided regarding other relevant stakeholders playing a crucial role to deliver comprehensive strategies to prevent and combat hate crime, including public officials, internet intermediaries, media and civil society organisations.  ​

Read the recommendation​

Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on combating hate crime and Explanatory Memorandum ​

_______

[1] Since all human beings belong to the same species, the Committee of Ministers rejects, as does ECRI, theories based on the existence of different “races”. However, in this document, the term “race” is used in order to ensure that those persons who are generally and erroneously perceived as “belonging to another race” are not excluded from the protection provided for by legislation and the implementation of policies to prevent and combat hate crime.