The Council of Europe, through different co-operation projects, engages with member State authorities and other stakeholders to support the design of comprehensive strategies against hate speech, based on a systemic design approach.

This approach involves as a first key step a systemic analysis of the national approach to hate speech which maps how members of society are impacted by hate speech and the redress available to them. The analysis maps the interaction individuals or targeted groups have with institutions, public bodies, NGOs and the private sector throughout the process of addressing hate speech.

A systemic analysis is not restricted to legal redress but encompasses all possible responses as outlined in European Commission against Racism and Intolerance's General Policy Recommendation No. 15 on Combating Hate Speech, for example self-regulatory procedures, public condemnation, victim support and educational responses. By breaking down a system into its component pieces and studying how those component parts work and interact to accomplish their purpose helps identify gaps, challenges and new actions and tools.

The Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech and Cooperation Unit is implementing the systemic mapping of responses to hate speech in the following countries: Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Spain. 

More information about the Mapping of national responses to hate speech.