As delivered by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

This is a pressing priority given the scale of challenge in our polarised and digital age.

Many European countries and organisations have noted record numbers in hate speech and hate crime in recent years –

Indeed our own monitoring body, ECRI, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, has warned about this disturbing trend –

And we have seen a further escalation in recent months, linked especially to events in the Middle East.

So, the time to act is now –

And to discuss and identify appropriate initiatives, and to act are precisely what CDADI was created for.

As a key standard-setting committee, you have helped us develop new tools that we need to help ensure diverse and welcoming societies for all.

I know that in these efforts, it has been very helpful to draw on ECRI’s work and expertise –

As well as co-operation with other relevant committees –

Let me here briefly highlight the importance of the Committee of Minister’s Recommendation on Combatting Hate Speech, that you prepared four years ago –

And the Recommendation on Combatting Hate Crime from this year –

Which in many ways helped us break new ground by providing a wider definition of hate crime –

To also include hateful statements, not just hateful motivation.

Today, you take the next steps, by focusing your discussion on how effective implementation of these and other tools has proceeded so far –

Not that there is a lack of progress, as there are certainly positive signs.

On hate speech, for example, I understand that the 2022 recommendation has led to real change, especially online –

Here too, I believe that CDADI’s implementation tools have been particularly helpful –

Which include a compilation of good practices –

And a study on preventing and combatting hate speech in times of crisis.

Take Spain, for example, which has introduced a trusted flagger scheme –

With experts identifying categories of illegal content online –

Drawing also from the work of the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia –

Which for quite some time has collaborated closely with the Council of Europe.

Or consider Italy for a moment, which has done a great deal to alert young people to the dangers of hate speech online –

With several important awareness-raising activities held by law enforcement officials in schools and other places where young people gather.

I believe that on hate crime too, we can conclude that real change is happening.

And here it is the combination of the 2024 Recommendation, and the extensive co-operation projects to ensure action against hate speech, that has made a difference –

And most importantly, with governments, equality bodies and civil society and others, all playing their important part.

I don’t want to sound too optimistic, but good things may come from all this.

In a recent monitoring report, ECRI has found that the United Kingdom has now achieved a very high conviction rate in hate crime prosecutions – at around 85% –

In addition, a number of other Council of Europe member states have launched a range of crucial new initiatives –

Setting up specialised police and prosecution services, for example –

To help develop the expertise needed to investigate hate crime more effectively.

France, our host country, has shown us what this means in concrete terms.

Its Central Office for Combatting Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes is doing inspiring work –

And it will be interesting to hear more about the success of that Central Office and other measures that the authorities are now taking later today from our French participants.

But despite some progress, what are proving the main obstacles to moving further and faster?

And what more should be done to help European governments even more and to get them fully committed?

Helping us bolster the work of countering hate speech and hate crime.

And most importantly, to implement the European standards that have been set?

This is what we need to discuss and focus on here today.

And commitment at the highest political level is not lacking, as when European leaders met at our Reykjavík Summit of Heads of State and Government last year –

They were very clear about the importance of tackling this menace, as part of their broader drive to reverse democratic backsliding on our continent.

Dear friends,

Your work will no doubt be essential to help us silence hate speech and stop hate crime on our continent –

Just as we will continue to build on broader work for equality and non-discrimination.

So, I take this opportunity to thank CDADI’s staff and all the members of its four expert committees.

After just five years, progress is being made and CDADI is truly making a big difference –

Helping advance inclusion often in the face of hostile and strong headwinds.

Thank you for your attention.