Council Concludes General Debate on the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action




The Human Rights Council this morning started an interactive dialogue on the oral update of the High Commissioner on the various drivers, root causes and human rights impacts of religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. The Council also concluded the general debate on agenda item eight on follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.


Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said peaceful dialogue and peaceful coexistence were being increasingly fractured around the globe by speech and actions that sought to divide, to inflame and to spread hatred. Religious hatred today was being driven by multiple factors: politicians and leaders promoting policies which divided, polarised and suppressed voices of dissent; a rising tide of populism marked by dangerous identity politics which thrived on nationalism and fearmongering; or by education systems which failed to teach their pupils respect, tolerance and understanding. Religious hate speech, a phenomenon that was far from new, was now unfolding unchecked. Online, social media algorithms were amplifying hateful messages and nourishing the echo chambers of ignorance.


The human rights impacts of religious hatred and discrimination were clear. They undermined human dignity, and could lead to incitement of violence – or to violence itself. Gaps in national policy, and in legal and law enforcement frameworks were letting hate and discrimination slip through the cracks. Member States could and must do more. Training initiatives for law enforcement officers and the judiciary, faith-based actors, teachers and media professionals in combatting religious hatred needed to be part of a comprehensive approach which integrated faith literacy, better understanding and sensitivity, and clear measures to address discrimination.


Concluding, the High Commissioner said overcoming religious hatred required a renewed social contract, with trust and respect at its base, where everyone, no matter who or what they believed in, could participate in safe and healthy dialogue. Provocative speech or premeditated publicity stunts were far less likely to succeed in inciting hatred and violence in societies which promoted tolerance, equality, openness and diversity, where State institutions functioned well and prioritised the human rights cause, and where the core values of trust, compassion and respect, which cut across all religions, thrived.


In the discussion, some speakers said in many parts of the world, persons continued to be discriminated against, persecuted, and sometimes even killed because of their opinion or their religion, which was very concerning. A number of speakers were very concerned about the continued public desecration of the Holy Qur’an in parts of Europe, which were sometimes carried out in front of embassies and broadcast live on social media. Inaction by State authorities to prevent these actions was very troubling. Freedom of expression could not be used as an excuse to condone and incite religious hatred; the authorities concerned needed to pay serious attention to the implications of such actions. Many speakers said there needed to be full respect of the basic human right to freedom of religion or belief. Only through tolerance and mutual respect could peaceful and inclusive societies be built.


At the beginning of the meeting, the Council concluded the general debate on agenda item eight on follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The general debate began yesterday and a full summary is available here.


In the general debate, some speakers said 30 years after the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, it was evident that inequalities, challenges, conflicts, gaps and failures in achieving sufficient international cooperation and solidarity during global crises, persisted. Some speakers were deeply concerned about the regression of the rights of women and girls, with national legislation that excluded women from the productive sectors of society, discriminated against them or removed them from public and social life. A number of speakers also expressed concern about persistent discrimination against people due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The recognition of diversity was essential to preserve human dignity. Many speakers reiterated their support for all efforts to revive the principles of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and to defend equal rights for all.


Speaking in the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner were the European Union, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Oman on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Libya on behalf of the Arab Group, Brunei Darussalam, Switzerland, Sovereign Order of Malta, Libya, Qatar, Holy See, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Iraq, Malawi, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela, Mauritania, Türkiye, Gambia, India, Uganda, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, League of Arab States, Iran, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.


Speaking in the general debate on agenda item eight were Iran, Sweden, Azerbaijan and Lebanon.

HRC23.140E